One of the more common problems a person can develop is a heel spur. What is a heel spur? A heel spur is a bony protrusion at the front of your heel. It is often caused by calcium that sits between your heel and arch.

Heel spurs can be confused with Plantar Fasciitis, a condition where the area between your heel and toe bones become inflamed. Both can manifest as heel pain although Plantar Fasciitis is said to manifest in pain more. A heel spur, however, must be treated differently.

Treatments for heel spurs include:

Cold compresses – Reduces pain and swelling. Can be as simple as applying ice
Physical Therapy – A combination of resting the foot and stretching the calf muscle and foot
Resting your feet – Stay off your feet and elevate
Better fitting footwear – Footwear must support the foot according to the unique conditions of each patient
Possible surgery – Cutting ligaments or removing calcium

Some of the symptoms of a heel spur include:

Pain – Undue irritation around the front of your heel and arch of your foot
Bony protrusion – Could not be visible as the protrusion may be too small
Inflammation – General redness visible surrounding the ball of your heel
Swelling of the area – increased the size of the effected heel and arch area

Diagnosing a heel spur by yourself is difficult which is why if you experience pain in your heel to see your podiatrist. They have been trained to evaluate the condition, determine what you are suffering from and how best to treat it.

Heel spur surgery can include:

Plantar Fasciitis surgery – Plantar Fasciitis may cause a heel spur. Cutting part of the Plantar Fasciitis ligaments to relieve the pressure causing the heel spur
Open surgery – a Podiatrist will make a small incision and remove the calcium deposit causing the spur

If you believe you have a heel spur or have any other concerns about your feet, make an appointment with Dr. Anant Joshi of Advanced Footcare of NJ LLC . Call us at (973) 256-0002. We are located at 1031 McBride Avenue, Suite D-105, Woodland Park, NJ, 07424. You can also contact us at our email advancedfootcare1031@outlook .com.