Heel spur: cause, diagnosis, treatment

Content

What is a heel spur?
What symptoms indicate a heel spur?
How a heel spur is treated
How can a heel spur be prevented?

If the heel hurts suddenly, a heel spur could be behind it. What causes are hidden behind and what the treatment looks like, you can read here.

What is a heel spur?

The heel or heel spur is a bony extension. This forms on the heel bone, the sole side of the heel bone. About ten to twenty percent of adults are affected by heel spurs, mostly between the ages of 50 and 60 years. Women are affected more often than men.

What symptoms indicate a heel spur?

Symptoms such as pain on appearance may indicate heel spurs. After getting up, the pain is usually very bad. The pain feels as if you had stepped into a shard or a nail, describing those affected the unpleasant feeling.

How a heel spur is treated

Relief is the alpha and omega of a heel spur. A custom foam padding can help relieve pain in the pressure area. In some cases, physiotherapy is also advisable. Massages and stretching exercises should alleviate the discomfort. In addition, it is advisable to perform exercises at home to strengthen the foot muscles and thus accelerate the healing process.
Also shock wave therapy has proven to be effective, but this is not paid by the statutory health insurance.

How can a heel spur be prevented?

The footwear should sit well and dampen the sole well. In addition, it is advisable to train the muscles to prevent heel spurs.

With these exercises, you train your foot muscles:

Grab a towel or towel with your toes and lift it off the floor. This exercise returns stability to the foot.

Roll a small object, a ball or a nut, with the sole of your foot back and forth. This is how the ability to exercise is trained to sensitize the nerves.

While sitting, place a towel or towel around your foot and pull your foot toward your body until you feel a stretch in your calf. So the muscles and tendons are stretched.