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	Tips to Get Rid of Heel Spurs

Heel spurs are small calcium deposits which develop near the base of your heel bone, generally along with a problem called plantar fasciitis. Heel spurs actually do not cause pain, but plantar fasciitis, swelling of the plantar fascia (a connective tissue forming the arch of the foot) can be very painful. Plantar fasciitis is not a sudden occurrence, but is a repetitive stress injury that occurs at any age, but is more common in middle age. Eliminating the pain of heel spurs may need long periods of treatment, and in few cases, rectifying plantar fasciitis needs surgery or other more serious remedies.

Steps:
Obtain a diagnosis. There can be other likely causes of pain in the lower rear part of the foot, like a broken plantar fascia, either due to a sudden injury or nerve entrapment. Though these situations are not as frequent as heel spurs, it's advisable to check with your doctor. An x-ray will show whether it is a heel spur or heel bone.

Reduce your activity. When heel spurs are very painful don’t apply any pressure on the foot. If you think pain is developing, take preventive steps to avoid this. Allow your foot to rest for some time and reduce your exercise schedule and find out the likely causes of the problem. Taking quick action will amplify the results of self-treatment, so that you can carry on with the regular activity while undergoing treatment.

Keep ice on the painful area. An icepack can provide relief from the pain of the plantar fascia, and is more useful for the intial pain or reinitiated injury. Ice the part for 10-15 minutes, turning the icepack around. Wait for 30 minutes before reapplying. Moving your foot on an iced can or bottle is an effective method to reduce plantar fasciitis swelling.

Take anti-inflammatory medicines. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can effectively reduce the initial pain of the plantar fasciitis. After the inflammation is reduced, stop the use of medication.

Buy good shoes. Overpronation where the arch of the foot is abnormally flat is the major problem. Don’t mix it with "flat feet." Worn out shoes usually leads to overpronation. Remove your shoes and bend them. They must remain static at the arch or heel, but must only bend at the ball of the foot. If the bend behind the ball of your foot, change them. Buy shoes offering good arch support and general mobility support.

Stretch the muscles of your calf. Remember to stretch before excercise, normally, but if you have developed heel spurs stretching your calf muscles more regularly becomes very important. Lightly stretch your calves by performing a wall stretch. Start stretching slowly, and keep tempo slow. Stop if you experience pain that is abnormal.

Perform towel curls. Towel curls make the muscles in the arch of the foot stronger. Keep a small towel on the floor and pull it near you only with the help of your toes, rest of the foot should be stationary. Do 20 repetitions thrice a day.
Go for orthotic inserts. It has helped many, who found that using shoe inserts cures their heel spur. Heel cups can lower strain on the plantar fascia, and arch supports can avoid overpronation. Ensure you use the orthotic in all your shoes, not just one. There are many types of over-the-counter orthotics, and you should experiment a little to get the one that is effective for you. Your doctor can give you customized orthotics.

Seek medical advice. If self-treatment doesn’t show results after many months, or if your condition deteriorates at any point, talk to your doctor and possibly think about more severe measures.

Prescription anti-inflammatory medications can lessen the plantar fascia swelling if over-the-counter medications can't. In severe cases, your doctor would advise you to take cortisone injections. This treatment was more common, but had higher risks of complications.

Shockwave therapy, or ECSWT, operates on the same technology that can reduce kidney stones. However use it only if other treatments have not yielded results after for 6 months. Shockwave therapy has about 60% success rate in curing heel spurs.
Surgery for plantar fasciitis however has become, less common than before, but it can be the only solution in some cases. It's believed to be about 50 percent effective.

Tips

Be patient and regular with your treatment schedule. Orthotics and stretching can only yield results after many months. But remember this in conjunction with the fact that heel spurs need a long time to develop.

Don't walk without shoes if you suffer from heel spurs. Wear supportive shoes, even while you are at home, to prevent overpronation.

Taping or splinting the foot can also work in few cases, particularlly if you participate in strenuous athletic activities.

Overweight people are more likely to suffer from heel spurs. Shed pounds now to prevent occurrence of heel spurs later on or to speed up healing.

Warnings

A word of caution: This article is just a general guide. So it is advisable to consult your doctor about your medical problem.

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