Living with Heel Spur Pain

When my heels first started hurting me two years ago I just kept on walking and thought "Well, this extra weight that I've been carrying all of these years is finally catching up to me". Little did I know that it was only the beginning of my pain. Several months ago I had to go to the doctor to have my right ankle x-rayed because I was having some pain around an old surgery site. What I saw on the picture shocked me. I had what appeared to be a claw growing out from the bottom of my heel. It reminded me of the velociraptor claws I had seen on "Jurassic Park".

When I questioned the doctor he advised me that I had what is commonly referred to as a heel spur. He asked me if I had experienced any pain there. I advised him that I had been having excruciating pain in the left foot and pretty bad pain in the right foot as well. He set me up with an appointment to see a podiatrist. When I finally got to see the foot doctor he explained to me what the cause of my pain was and we talked about some treatment options. The podiatrist explained that the tendon connecting to the heel of the foot gets stretched beyond its limits at times due to stressors. He didn't tell me, but I can figure out that the excess weight I have carried for many years was my major stressor. This causes a little inflammation and the body's response to this inflammation is to produce calcium and this creates the spur. The bony growth presses into the tissue on the bottom of the foot and causes pain and inflammation in the plantar fascia.

When a person who has this ailment sits for a while or is in bed for the night and then takes that first step when they put their weight on their feet again the pain escalates to almost unbearable for the first few steps. The podiatrist advised me that surgery is the last thing he wants to do to remove the bony growth. Although this is where he makes the big bucks he only does it as a last resort because I would have to remain off of my feet for three months following the procedure. I just don't know if I could do that. The doctor also advised me to wear different shoes. He advised me to get shoes that flex at the toe end and not in the middle or the back. This helps the area where the heel goes into the arch of my foot to remain stable.

He also sent me to physical therapy for four to six weeks, twice a week. I have completed three weeks and am starting to feel a little relief. At first I didn't think that the therapy was working but it takes five to six treatments before the patient can really tell a difference. The therapist puts ultrasound on my heels for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Then she hooks electrodes up to my heels with some kind of anti-inflammatory medication in a pad and the medication goes into my tissues through electrical stimulation. It doesn't hurt, but sometimes feels like little ant bites. I am very hopeful that this is going to help me control the pain. Hopefully, when this treatment is finished and I get used to walking in my new shoes I will be pain free or as close to it as possible.