Heel Spurs

What is a heel spur?

Long standing inflammation causes the deposition of calcium at the point where the plantar fascia inserts into the heel. This results in the appearance of a sharp thorn like heel spur on x-ray. The heel spur is asymtomatic (not painful), the pain arises from the inflammation of the plantar fascia. Symptoms include a dull ache which is felt most of the time with episodes of a sharp pain in the center of the heel or on the inside margin of the heel.

Treatment

Heel spurs are generally only painful when they are associated with plantar fasciitis. If the spur is large, we can treat it with orthotic devices which have cushioning to prevent overweighting on the damaged area.

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