HEEL SPUR BACKGROUNDS
Causes
Basically heel spur is a stress injury similar to a tennis elbow, caused by too much tension or weight on the tendon, which creates a pulling force where the tendon is attached to the heel. Actual overload like running or jumping can cause this.
Symptoms
Heel spur patients will often suffer from pain under the foot, especially under the foreside of the heel. Typically, getting up from bed is particularly painful, but also standing up for longer periods. Other symptoms reported include the following:
Treatments
Given all the possible treatments for heel spur you may find it hard to choose a particular therapy to follow. Some of these methods can be applied quite easily and are worth trying out first, before turning to some of the more drastic measures.
What is Heel Spur / Plantar Fasciitis?
When you suffer from plantar fasciitis, the heel hurts. Previously, it was thought that heel spur is an inflammation under the heel close to the attachment of the plantar fascia, which runs from the heel to the forefoot. The current opinion is that the pain in the heel is caused by damage to the collagen fibers of the fascia.
Often some calcification occurs (creating a bone spur). You can see this spur on X-ray. This 'bone spur' does not necessarily cause heel pain. Almost 30% of all people have these spurs, while only a limited number of people has complaints. It even happens that people have heel pain without the presence of a spur. The actual problem that causes pain is the inflammation.In short: most people with heel pain suffer from plantar fasciitis, which is often (but not always) accompanied by a calcaneal spur. Complaints and treatment are the same in both cases.
Often some calcification occurs (creating a bone spur). You can see this spur on X-ray. This 'bone spur' does not necessarily cause heel pain. Almost 30% of all people have these spurs, while only a limited number of people has complaints. It even happens that people have heel pain without the presence of a spur. The actual problem that causes pain is the inflammation.In short: most people with heel pain suffer from plantar fasciitis, which is often (but not always) accompanied by a calcaneal spur. Complaints and treatment are the same in both cases.