TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- What is heel spur?
- Prognosis of the disease
- Symptoms
- How is it diagnosed?
- Causes of the disease
- Prevention
- How is it treated?
- What expert treats it?
What is a heel spur?
A heel spur is a calcification in the heel caused by excessive and continuous stretching of the plantar fascia. This injury causes pain and inflammation in the surrounding area, and difficulty for the normal support of the heel. The spur is normally caused by a very arched foot, overweight, the use of inadequate footwear or a continuous bad posture when standing.
Prognosis of the disease
If not treated in time, the disease can become chronic, resulting in a very painful and difficult to cure condition.
Symptoms of heel spurs
The most frequent symptom is pain on the inside of the heel and pinching that occurs when the foot is active. When at rest, this pain subsides or disappears.
The causes are usually mainly due to the shape of the foot.
Medical tests for heel spurs
Medical tests to diagnose this pathology include an X-ray examination in order to observe the formation of the bone in the heel.
What are the causes of heel spurs?
The causes are usually mainly due to the shape of the foot, therefore, if a person has a very arched foot, a heel spur is more likely to appear. It also appears in people who are overweight and those who make sudden movements with the foot. In addition, people who suffer from flat feet can increase the tension in the plantar fascia and can lead to the appearance of these spurs.
Can it be prevented?
Heel spurs can be prevented by preventing plantar fasciitis. In order to achieve this objective, it is necessary to carry out a rigorous study of the foot and the plantar footprint. If any anomaly is detected, it is necessary to make a customized insole that can neutralize the imbalance between the footprint and improve weight bearing.
Treatments for heel spurs
The treatment is usually based on the use of orthopedic insoles that unload the heel of tension, night splints, acupuncture, stretching exercises or infiltrations of anti-inflammatory drugs, which are effective in eliminating or reducing pain. If these treatment techniques fail, in severe cases the spur may be corrected by surgery.
What specialist treats it?
The specialist who treats this pathology is an expert in heel spurs.