The Pain of Heel Spurs

Heel spurs are very small but can cause gigantic problems for a person that develops one. They can make it so painful to stand that walking becomes agonizing. Heel spurs are often connected to another foot problem, but even modern medicine doesn't know what the relationship is between the two. Here is more information on heel spurs.

A heel spur is a small protruding piece of bone that forms on your heel bone. It develops where the ligaments and the tendons of the foot attach to the heel bone. It can look like a small nail or a hooked tooth on an X-ray. The spur is usually pointing in the direction of the toes. It may take years for a heel spur to develop in an individual. The condition occurs mostly in people over 40 years old but athletes that are on their feet and do quite a bit of running and jumping are prone to heel spurs. Heel spurs do not normally occur in children under the age of 8, as the human foot is not fully developed until after that age.

A heel spur can cause sufficient pain to make standing on the affected foot nearly impossible. But often heel spurs can be present in a person and cause no pain. They usually are found in people who are suffering from plantar fasciitis, which is the over-stretching or tearing of the connective band of tissue that runs from the heel to the toes. This band of tissue helps to maintain the integrity of the arch. Plantar fasciitis comes about when there are problems with a person's arch, causing them to walk on the foot in such a way that they wear out or injure the tissue and it becomes inflamed. The exact relationship between heel spurs and plantar fasciitis is not well understood, but 70% of the people with plantar fasciitis also have a heel spur.

Treatment for heel spur pain involves rest, avoiding the activity that may have caused the heel spur to begin with until the affected area becomes less inflamed. Icing the heel can help as can special exercises and stretches designed to help relax the tissues of the heel and arch. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine will be recommended by your doctor. Shoe inserts that take pressure off your heel and correct whatever mechanical problems your have in your walking often eliminate heel spur pain. Cortisone shots can be given in extreme cases, and surgery to remove the heel spur is an option, but normally the last one. Heel spur pain can be prevented after an initial episode by continuing to exercise and stretch the heel, wearing shoe inserts, and making sure that your footwear properly fits.

The most famous heel spur ever belonged to Yankee great Joe DiMaggio. He developed his over years of playing baseball and in 1949 it kept him out of the lineup for almost the entire first half of the season. Newspaper reports kept the public informed of his progress with the heel pain as the Yankees struggled to stay in the pennant race. DiMaggio had every conceivable treatment for his heel spur and nothing seemed to work. Then one day he woke up and the heel pain was gone. He was able to play in a key series against the Boston Red Sox and hit 4 homers in the 3 games, leading New York to a sweep. The Yankees went on to win the pennant and World Series and DiMaggio was cemented in the American eye for all-time as a hero.