Do you have a sharp pain in your heel when you stand or walk? Can you feel a small, bony lump underneath foot when you try to investigate the cause of your pain? If you can feel a small lump protruding from the bottom of your foot, then you might have a heel spur or other wise known as an Achilles spur. What is a heel spur, and what heel spur treatment options are available? Here’s what we want you to know about living with foot pain.
What is a Heel Spur?
A heel spur is a calcium deposit on the underside of your heel. The deposit causes your bone to stick out, which can cause significant pain when you put pressure on it when you stand or walk.
Although heel spurs aren’t uncommon among younger people, they become more common as you get older.
What Are the Symptoms of Heel Spurs?
If you have a heel spur, you’ll experience pain all day – beginning when you stand up in the morning. It won’t take overuse to flare up. Your pain will be sharp in the morning and simmer as a dull ache until you go to sleep at night.
You may also experience heat radiating from the area. In some cases, you can even see the spur sticking out from your heel.
While heel spurs are best associated with heel pain, only 50% of people who have heel spurs experience any pain at all. It’s not uncommon for people to live with heel spurs for years and never realize it.
What Causes Heel Spurs?
The calcium deposits that cause heel spurs usually take several months to build up and cause you any grief. But what causes those deposits to occur in the first place?
Your foot is a complex web of tendons, muscles, ligaments, and bones. When any one of them becomes injured, inflamed, or irritated, it can wreak havoc on your whole foot. Some of the common causes can be:
- Long periods of standing
- Standing on hard ground
- Repetitive stress
- Injuries
- Age-related shrinkage of the fat around the heel
- Poorly-fit shoes
If you experience a heel spur, the most likely cause is a strain on your plantar fascia or another muscle and ligament around your heel. It can also be caused when you repeatedly tear the membrane over your heel bone.
Because heel spurs are so closely linked to the plantar fascia, it’s not uncommon to confuse heel spurs with plantar fasciitis.
Can Chiropractic Care Treat Spurs?
Chiropractic care can help you deal with both heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. As chiropractors, we ensure that your foot’s biomechanics operates the way it should. Chiropractic care can help stretch your calf muscles, provide taping to protect the fascia, and prescribe custom foot orthotics for arch support.
You Don’t Have to Live with Painful Feet
Chiropractic care can help relieve your pain and keep you walking right.
Are you ready to walk without pain? Get in touch to learn how Amazing Life Chiropractic and Wellness can help you put your best foot forward.
