What Can Induce Posterior Calcaneal Spur

Overview

If you suffer from heel pain, you know that it affects every step you take. And by the time you take off your shoes in the evening, your feet are really suffering. The pain you?re feeling could be caused by heel bone spurs. Heel bone spurs are common in people who walk, stand or run on hard surfaces such as concrete or tile floors-and that?s most of us! This kind of frequent, intense impact on hard surfaces overstretches and can even tear the ligaments on the bottom of the foot, a condition known as plantar fasciitis. In extreme cases, these ligaments begin to pull away from the bone. Heel bone spurs are created because of this injury to the foot. They are not painful by themselves, but they do irritate surrounding tissues, which causes heel pain.

Causes

At the onset of this condition, pain and swelling become present, with discomfort particularly noted as pushing off with the toes occurs during walking. This movement of the foot stretches the fascia that is already irritated and inflamed. If this condition is allowed to continue, pain is noticed around the heel region because of the newly formed bone, in response to the stress. This results in the development of the heel spur. It is common among athletes and others who run and jump a significant amount.



Symptoms

Major symptoms consist of pain in the region surrounding the spur, which typically increases in intensity after prolonged periods of rest. Patients may report heel pain to be more severe when waking up in the morning. Patients may not be able to bear weight on the afflicted heel comfortably. Running, walking, or lifting heavy weight may exacerbate the issue.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is made using a few different technologies. X-rays are often used first to ensure there is no fracture or tumor in the region. Then ultrasound is used to check the fascia itself to make sure there is no tear and check the level of scar tissue and damage. Neurosensory testing, a non-painful nerve test, can be used to make sure there is not a local nerve problem if the pain is thought to be nerve related. It is important to remember that one can have a very large heel spur and no plantar fasciitis issues or pain at all, or one can have a great deal of pain and virtually no spur at all.

Non Surgical Treatment

Get some rest. You need to stay off of your aching foot as much as possible for at least a week. Think about possible causes of the problem while you're resting and figure out how you can make some changes. Some actions that can contribute to heel spurs include running too often or running on hard surfaces such as concrete, tight calf muscles, shoes with poor shock absorption. Ease back into your activities. In many cases, you'll be in too much pain to go ahead with a strenuous exercise routine that puts pressure or impact on your heel. Listen to your body and switch to different activities such as swimming or riding a bike until your heel spurs improve.

Surgical Treatment

Almost 90% of the people suffering from heel spur get better with nonsurgical treatments. However, if the conservative treatments do not help you and you still have pain even after 9 to 12 months, your doctor may advise surgery for treating heel spur. The surgery helps in reducing the pain and improving your mobility. Some of the surgical techniques used by doctors are release of the plantar fascia. Removal of a spur. Before the surgery, the doctor will go for some pre-surgical tests and exams. After the operation, you will need to follow some specific recommendations which may include elevation of the foot, waiting time only after which you can put weight on the foot etc.

Prevention

To prevent this condition, wearing properly fitted shoes with good arch support is very important. If a person is overweight, weight loss can help diminish stress on the feet and help prevent foot problems. For those who exercise frequently and intensely, proper stretching is always necessary, especially when there is an increase in activities or a change in running technique. It is not recommended to attempt to work through the pain, as this can change a mild case of heel spurs and plantar fascitis into a long-lasting and painful episode of the condition.