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A bone-like calcium deposit between the heel bone and the arch of the sole is called the heel spur. This situation is seen in front of the heel area and it spreads to different areas of the foot depending on the progressing situation. Heel spurs are seen in an average of 0.5 cm in length. Since it has a very small size, it cannot be seen from the outside in any way.
Heel spurs are known as osteophytes in the medical world. It should be known that calcium is effective under the heel area as soon as this problem occurs. Over time, the pain increases when walking and moving the foot. This pain lessens a little while the person is resting.
Heel spur complaints can be seen as soon as they get out of bed in the morning, or they can occur in people who stand for a long time. In this case, if you rest, the pain complaints will gradually disappear.
It can become progressive, toxic to daily life. Can you imagine getting a nail stuck in your foot every time you step on it? Like the Chinese Torture, how disturbing, right? It is a condition that is more common in women. It is more common after the age of 40. Processes that cause deformation in the bones and soft tissues of the feet, such as rheumatic diseases and obesity, are blamed as the cause. It is the problem of shortening and hardening of the planter fascia, which provides the sole flexibility when the foot is pressed on the ground, due to various factors, inflammation where it attaches to the heel, and ossification that gives a prickly appearance in the future.
The patient's expression, examination and lateral x-ray of the foot provide us with the necessary information. Clinically, the leading complaints are the pain in the soles of the feet, which we feel when we first step on the ground when we get up in the morning. It may pass in the following hours, it is a recurrent pain when sitting for a long time and getting up again. Measures to be taken at this stage; It is possible to control the event with exercise, foot massage and simple painkillers. Soft-soled shoes should be preferred. Rubber and similar supports with a hole in the middle can be used on the area of the heel that contacts the ground. If the pain is persistent and interferes with daily life, further treatment is needed.
Heel spurs cause pain especially in the first steps in the morning. The level of pain decreases during the day and is seen more intensely with advancing age. It can be seen intensely, especially when wearing hard-soled shoes.
Heel spur symptoms can be counted as follows;
Complaints of occasional pain and stabbing pain in the heel on the first step in the morning
Inflammation, swelling and edema formation in the heel area
Bone-shaped image observed just below the heel
The formation of sensitivity that negatively affects walking in the heel and it is difficult for the person to walk even barefoot
The area around the heel spur starts to get warmer
You can get support by contacting us as soon as you are faced with the symptoms of heel spurs. For the treatment of heel spurs, it is necessary to consult a specialist as soon as possible.
The causes of heel spurs are very diverse. Heel spur complaints are seen in cases such as injury, overload and strain in the muscle and connective tissue of the person. If there is very heavy strain in the foot area, pressure on the heel bones and heel spurs can be seen in the following periods.
Heel spurs usually occur within a certain time frame. It is normal to see problems such as heel spurs even at a young age. As soon as it occurs in the early stages, it should be diagnosed immediately and simple treatments should be applied.
The causes of heel spurs can be listed as follows;
Jumping and running while wearing unsupportive shoes
Walking on very hard surfaces
Trauma and injuries in the muscle and connective tissues in the foot region
Arthritis-related pain or overweight
The shoes being worn are uncomfortable and not orthopedic
Wearing flip-flops for long periods
Trauma in the heel area, such as a bump or a hard blow
Rheumatism complaints in the spine and lower back region and aging
Onset of walking problems
As people with heel spurs walk, pain is seen between the heel and the toe. This pain occurs due to the hard and fibrous tissue in the area.
A very detailed examination is performed for the diagnosis of heel spurs. If the person experiences pain after a few steps as soon as they get up in the morning, an examination should be done immediately. If the pain goes away after a few steps, it is very likely that you have a heel spur.
The following examinations are performed for the diagnosis of heel spurs;
First of all, information such as pain status, formation process and form is listened to.
Then the patient undergoes an orthopedic examination. During this examination, the foot is stepped on and conditions such as pain and stinging sensation are examined.
During the diagnosis of heel spur, x-ray examination is performed for definitive diagnosis and it is checked whether there is a spiky protrusion on the x-ray.
If the sole of the foot adheres to the heel bone, edema and tear may occur. In this case, the diagnosis is made by MRI examination.
Heel spur pain occurs especially when waking up in the morning or getting up from a sitting position. When heel spur pain occurs, problems with standing on the foot may begin. Especially wearing the wrong shoes or doing things that will stay standing for a long time can cause heel spurs. Especially if the heel area is suddenly loaded, the fibers called fascia break or wear out and heel spurs appear.
Heel spurs are a disease that can be overcome by wearing the right shoes. A person with heel spur problems should avoid jobs require standing for long periods of time. First of all, wearing insoles is the first recommendation given by experts. Then, in simple cases, exercises are recommended together with insoles.
The most accurate method of heel spurs would be to receive physical therapy and rehabilitation support. With the help of physical therapy applications, it is possible to get rid of the complaints that occur. By performing stretching exercises on the soles of the feet and the posterior muscle sections of the legs, the problems in heel spurs gradually disappear.
Many different tools can be used in the treatment process. At the same time, hot and cold are applied to the area with heel spurs. In addition, it would be correct to massage the sole area with certain movements. However, massage must be done by a specialist in the field of physical therapy. With the right applications, the load on the muscles becomes equal and a slowdown in movements occurs over time.
Surgical interventions have limited success. Under the best conditions, there is a 50-60% success rate. In other words, it is a disease that can recur even after surgery. In cases that do not respond to normal treatment, cortisone + local anesthetic injections provide relief for 6 months to a year. It is possible to relax for a long time with radiotherapy, which is a method used mostly in cancer patients, but it is an application whose necessity is discussed. Another method is shock wave therapy.
For the treatment of heel spur, first of all, it is necessary to look at the degree of complaint in the patient. In simple-level complaints, it will be sufficient for the patient to use insoles and use the recommended exercises. However, for the most effective and permanent treatment, the patient is directed to physical therapy and rehabilitation. In this process, the existing symptoms are controlled and the soles of the feet and back muscles of the legs are strengthened. In this way, pain complaints are reduced.
Many treatment options such as exercise, hot and cold application, and foot massage can also be applied. After physical therapy, the load of the muscle can be distributed and pain complaints can be eliminated. In advanced cases, different treatment options may be considered.
We get good results with LASER needles treatment. Do not worry about the needle, the application is painless. Needle is LASER beams. OZONE injection to be added to LASER treatment causes us to get rid of pain in a shorter time. We are in favor of a single session RF (radiofrequency) treatment, which saves patients from this problem for up to 3 years. This procedure, which is applied to the pain nerves around the heel that are compressed as a result of both mechanical pressure and inflammation in the heel, is a simple method that does not harm the nerves and only aims to relieve the pain. It is the most current effective treatment method applied in the West.
