Our foot clinic in downtown Toronto can treat those bony growths between your arch and heel bone. Heel spurs might not be visible at first but they can affect other parts of your feet. They can be tricky to detect because they aren’t always painful. These are usually a calcium deposit found on the underside of your heel bone.
Here’s some other things you need to know about heel spurs and how they get started.
The calcium deposits that build up to cause a heel spur occur over several months. There are several different causes like strains put on the plantar fascia and tearing the membrane that covers the heel bone itself. Athletes and other active people who run and jump a lot are at risk.
There are several symptoms you should be watching for including pain and inflammation. Look for swelling as well. A good Toronto chiropodist knows this issue may not come with any symptoms at all.
If that’s the case, heel spurs are only usually discovered by x-rays.
The Causes
Repeated ligament and muscle strain is usually the culprit behind this condition. Wearing the wrong shoes that don’t have the proper support also causes them. Basically you are at risk if you walk, run or jump on a hard surface over a long period of time.
There are other possible causes including arthritis and being overweight. Some patients have heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. Having one of these conditions increases your chances for getting the other.
The Treatments
Reducing inflammation to avoid reinjury is the number one goal. Orthotics and shoe inserts are helpful. These take the pressure off the heel spurs. Reducing stress on the Achilles Tendon by using heel lifts is another treatment that works.
Active people should buy running shoes with cushioned soles to help reduce the inflammation and irritation.
The Big Takeaway from Your Foot Clinic in Downtown Toronto
Even though the two conditions are closely related, there’s a big difference between plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. The first condition is an inflammation at the point where plantar fascia attaches to your heel bone and then to your toes. It’s a condition that affects tissue.
A heel spur is a bony growth that starts at the front of your heel bone and points itself back towards the arch of your foot. Heel spurs occur in about 50% of the people who have the other condition.
