Have you ever felt pain on the bottom of your heel? This pain could be as a result of a bone spur which is caused by extra bone growth. This extra bone can end up tearing or rubbing against soft tissue at your heel resulting in irritation that causes inflammation and swelling.
Extra bone is not something that forms in your body simply because it wants to. It is the result of some amount of injury, extra pressure, stress or rubbing that causes the extra bone to form as a way of “protecting” your body. Extra bone can also form as a result of tight ligaments. This can occur due to running, poorly fitting shoes or even being overweight. When the ligament is tight and pulls on the area, the area becomes inflamed and it causes the extra bone to form. These bone spurs can often exist without causing you any pain or discomfort. But in some instances, it can become pronounced enough that it causes discomfort. In order to confirm that a bone spur is the cause, x-ray imaging is necessary to visualize the area.
There is a wide variety of treatment that can be used for heel spurs. Starting with the basics of resting your foot, ice and anti-inflammatory treatment we can gauge whether your bone spur needs more treatment or not. If this does not work, then there are other treatments that can be considered. Another option is padding in the heel part of your shoe. If this works, orthoses can be designed that include the padding built into your orthoses. This serves as a more permanent way to treat your condition while still using the padding. Dependent upon your foot type, there are both custom and general orthoses. By talking to your podiatrist, they can determine which type of treatment is best for you.
If you or someone you know has heel pain and you live in the Methuen, North Andover, Boston, Lowell or Bradford area our office staff would be more than happy to help you set up an appointment and get you back up on your feet as soon as possible.
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