What Are The Symptoms Of Heels Spurs And What Increases A Person's Risk Of Developing Them?

Heel Spur:

A heel spur is a condition where a calcium deposit grows between the heel and arch of the foot. Heels spurs may happen independently or may be related to an underlying health condition. People often assume that heels spurs are the cause of any pain in the heel, but other factors can also cause heel pain.

 

What is a Heel Spur?

A heel spur is a bony outgrowth that can occur on the underside of a person's foot. Heel Spurs are also called calcaneal spurs or osteophytes.

Heel spurs may be pointy, hooked, or shelf-like. The outgrowth of a heel spur extends from the underneath of the heel towards the arch (the middle of the foot). This area of the foot is called the plantar fascia.

When seen on an X-ray, a heel spur may be up to half an inch long. If an X-ray is unable to confirm a suspected heel spur, a doctor may refer to the condition as "heel spur syndrome." For details about the treatment options, follow the link: https://nycstemcells.com/our-treatments/podiatry/

Symptoms:

Symptoms of heel spurs can include:

• Sharp pain like a knife in the heel when standing up in the morning

• A dull ache in the heel throughout the rest of the day

• Inflammation and swelling at the front of the heel

• Heat radiating from the affected area

• Small, visible bone-like protrusion under the heel

• Point of tenderness at the bottom of the heel that makes it hard to walk barefoot

If a person experiences these symptoms, a doctor may take an X-ray of their foot to determine the problem. Seeing the protrusion on an X-ray is the only way to be sure a person has heel spurs.

Not everyone with a heel spur will experience all of these symptoms. Some people with heel spurs may experience no symptoms at all. These people may only discover they have heel spurs if they have an X-ray for another reason.

Causes:

Heel spurs happen when long-term muscle and ligament strain wears out the soft tissues in the heel. Tearing the membrane that covers the heel bone is also a cause.

The heel can also become more vulnerable with age. A 2015 review of heel pain noted that as a person ages, the pads in the heel wear down and fail to provide shock absorption.

Over time, calcium deposits can build up under the heel. These deposits form bony protrusions, which are heel spurs.

Risk Factors:

There is a range of things that increase the risk of developing heel spurs. These include:

• Athletic activities: Running and jumping can wear down the heel and arch of the foot.

• Activity on hard surfaces: Frequently walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces can wear down the heel.

• Trauma to the heel: Bruising the heel and tearing the membrane that covers it can lead to heel spurs.

• Getting older: Heel spurs to be common in older men and women.

• Being female: Heel spurs are more common in women than men.

• Being overweight: Heel spurs are related to obesity.

• Improper footwear: Frequently wearing shoes that do not fit properly, have lost their support, or are not supportive, such as flip-flops, can lead to heel spurs.