Heel spur can cause a lot of discomfort and pain however sometimes it is very difficult to recognize its symptoms. Due to this problem, normal heel support becomes too difficult and pain is also associated with inflammation.
Why does it cause?
According to medical researchers, the cause of heel spur or épine calcaneenne dite de lenoir (Meaning in English is calcanean spine (the heel bone) problem called Lenoir) is due to too much stretching of plantar fascia. In the injured area, our body’s calcium gets accumulated for healing the tissues and as a result bony prominence grows rapidly.
Some of the other reasons can also be –
- Poor posture
- Obesity
- Use of improper footwear
- Excessive athletic strain
- Overloading of tendon
- Standing for a very long time
How it can be diagnosed?
Some people may not show up any definite symptom and it can only be diagnosed with the help of X-ray image where protuberance points towards the toes that measure about 1 to 5 millimetres.
Treatments available
- By using orthopaedic insoles can improve foot support and reduces tension in the tendons
- By doing various stretching exercises
- By using heat and cold it can reduce pain
- Local ultrasound treatment
- With the help of high energy ultrasound shock waves calcification can be damaged.
- Analgesics on the area with direct pain
- When no other treatment can provide relief the finally surgical treatment is used as the last resort.
Few natural treatments
- Cook handful of verbena leaves with water for about 15 minutes. Apply in the painful area by moistening few compresses.
- Apply moist compresses of wormwood on the affected areas
- In one lire of water infuse handful of dried parietaria leaves and apply moisten compresses.
- Echinacea has got certain anti-inflammatory property. Take 1 tbsp of dried plant in a cup of water and drink few cups in a day.
How to prevent it
Avoiding their various causes will be the best way to prevent heel spurs. Some of them are avoid bad posture, excessive effort, obesity and using improper footwear.
Also, you can prevent by taking certain foods that are rich in following –
- Silicon
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Omega 3 acid
Taking the foods that contain the above minerals and fatty acids will help in keeping the muscles and tendons healthy and strong.
Beneficial fruits
Eating papaya and pineapple together can be very useful due to their high content of bromelain and it is inflammatory too.