7 Ways to Find Relief

Overview

Heel spurs are bony growths on the bottom of the heel that direct toward the arch of your foot. While some people have heel spurs and never know about them, others can experience significant pain that can make every step harder than the last.

This condition commonly occurs with plantar fasciitis, a condition that causes inflammation across the bottom of the foot, especially the heel. Here are seven treatments and remedies that can help you find relief.

Cold therapy can help to relieve inflamed heel tissue. One option is to apply a cloth-covered ice pack to your heel. You could also apply a cold compression pack to help keep the ice pack in place. These are sold at many drugstores as gel packs or cold foot wraps. They are kept in the freezer and then wrapped around the foot and ankle. Leave the wrap on for 10 minutes at a time, then unwrap. Repeat the cold wrap application on an hourly basis while you’re awake.

Another option is to roll your foot over a cold or frozen water bottle.

Keep reading: How to make a cold compress »

Comfortable and well-fitting shoes can reduce the amount of pressure on the heel spur. This pressure can cause pain and discomfort. Here’s what to look for when evaluating a shoe for comfort when you have a heel spur:

• Firm heel support: The back “counter” of the shoe should be firm in order to support the heel and prevent your foot from rolling inward or outward.
• Moderate flexibility: A shoe shouldn’t be so easy to flex that it’s collapsible. However, the shoe should have a gradual bend that has some resistance when your foot is flexed or bent.
• Slightly elevated heel: A heel insert or shoe that has a slightly elevated heel (no more than 1 inch high) can help take pressure off your painful heel.

You can also have custom orthotics (molded shoe inserts) made that will slip into your shoe. These orthotics are custom-designed to prevent your foot from rolling and provide extra heel support. They are made with a prescription from your podiatrist.

Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications can help you relieve heel pain and discomfort. Examples of anti-inflammatory medications include the following:

• aspirin
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• naproxen sodium/naproxen (Aleve)

By reducing tissue inflammation, these medicines can help to prevent further damage. However, you shouldn’t take anti-inflammatory medications if you have kidney problems or a history of stomach bleeding and ulcers.

While OTC acetaminophen may help to relieve pain, it does not have the same anti-inflammatory properties as the other medications.

Stretches for the calf and surrounding muscles as well as the plantar fascia can help to reduce strain and pressure on the heel spur. Some helpful stretches include:

Foot flexes

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• Sit with one leg crossed over the other.
• Reach for your foot, grabbing the toes and pulling them toward your chest. Hold this position for 30 seconds, and then release the foot.
• Repeat the stretch 5 times on this foot, then cross your legs the other way and stretch your other foot.

Calf stretches

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• Stand in front of a wall about arm’s length away.
• Put one foot slightly in front of the other and lean forward, placing your hands on the wall that is roughly shoulder height.
• Bend your knees and slightly push your hips forward to feel the stretch in your calves.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds at a time, then straighten your legs. Repeat this stretch 10 times, then switch your foot position so the opposite foot is forward.

Stretching in the morning, afternoon, and evening can go a long way in helping you reduce heel spur pain. You can also wear special splints that keep your foot flexed to stretch your plantar fascia and calf muscles at night. These splints are especially helpful in reducing heel pain that occurs first thing in the morning.

Keep reading: Plantar fasciitis stretches to soothe heel pain »

Cryoultrasound therapy combines the application of electromagnetic energy and cold therapy to relieve pain. The machine looks like a large wand that is moved over the foot and ankle. Research has found that Cryoultrasound therapy is an efficient treatment option for people with plantar fasciitis who also have heel spurs. Podiatrists and physical therapists often provide this therapy.

Corticosteroid injections don’t cure your heel spur, but they can help with some of the pain the heel spur causes. To perform the injection, your doctor will usually apply a numbing medicine to reduce any discomfort at the injection site. While the injection site can vary, most doctors will inject the medication on the inner or middle portion of the heel instead of the very bottom of it.

Although corticosteroid injections can help many people with bone spurs, there is a limit to how often or how many you can receive. This is because steroid injections can increase the likelihood of tendon rupture.

Learn more about heel pain »

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, your doctor will usually only recommend surgery for a heel spur if conservative methods like those above have failed. A variety of surgical procedures and approaches exist. The most common approach is to detach the plantar fascia ligament from the heel bone and remove the heel spur with special tools. This reduces pressure from the plantar fascia and removes the heel spur.

Nerve damage is a significant risk factor associated with the procedure. It’s also possible for the heel spur to come back after surgery. After the procedure, it can be several weeks until you can start to walk more normally and with less heel pain.

7 Ways to Find Relief

Overview

Heel spurs are bony growths on the bottom of the heel that direct toward the arch of your foot. While some people have heel spurs and never know about them, others can experience significant pain that can make every step harder than the last.

This condition commonly occurs with plantar fasciitis, a condition that causes inflammation across the bottom of the foot, especially the heel. Here are seven treatments and remedies that can help you find relief.

Cold therapy can help to relieve inflamed heel tissue. One option is to apply a cloth-covered ice pack to your heel. You could also apply a cold compression pack to help keep the ice pack in place. These are sold at many drugstores as gel packs or cold foot wraps. They are kept in the freezer and then wrapped around the foot and ankle. Leave the wrap on for 10 minutes at a time, then unwrap. Repeat the cold wrap application on an hourly basis while you’re awake.

Another option is to roll your foot over a cold or frozen water bottle.

Keep reading: How to make a cold compress »

Comfortable and well-fitting shoes can reduce the amount of pressure on the heel spur. This pressure can cause pain and discomfort. Here’s what to look for when evaluating a shoe for comfort when you have a heel spur:

• Firm heel support: The back “counter” of the shoe should be firm in order to support the heel and prevent your foot from rolling inward or outward.
• Moderate flexibility: A shoe shouldn’t be so easy to flex that it’s collapsible. However, the shoe should have a gradual bend that has some resistance when your foot is flexed or bent.
• Slightly elevated heel: A heel insert or shoe that has a slightly elevated heel (no more than 1 inch high) can help take pressure off your painful heel.

You can also have custom orthotics (molded shoe inserts) made that will slip into your shoe. These orthotics are custom-designed to prevent your foot from rolling and provide extra heel support. They are made with a prescription from your podiatrist.

Over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications can help you relieve heel pain and discomfort. Examples of anti-inflammatory medications include the following:

• aspirin
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• naproxen sodium/naproxen (Aleve)

By reducing tissue inflammation, these medicines can help to prevent further damage. However, you shouldn’t take anti-inflammatory medications if you have kidney problems or a history of stomach bleeding and ulcers.

While OTC acetaminophen may help to relieve pain, it does not have the same anti-inflammatory properties as the other medications.

Stretches for the calf and surrounding muscles as well as the plantar fascia can help to reduce strain and pressure on the heel spur. Some helpful stretches include:

Foot flexes

Share on Pinterest

• Sit with one leg crossed over the other.
• Reach for your foot, grabbing the toes and pulling them toward your chest. Hold this position for 30 seconds, and then release the foot.
• Repeat the stretch 5 times on this foot, then cross your legs the other way and stretch your other foot.

Calf stretches

Share on Pinterest

• Stand in front of a wall about arm’s length away.
• Put one foot slightly in front of the other and lean forward, placing your hands on the wall that is roughly shoulder height.
• Bend your knees and slightly push your hips forward to feel the stretch in your calves.
• Hold this position for 10 seconds at a time, then straighten your legs. Repeat this stretch 10 times, then switch your foot position so the opposite foot is forward.

Stretching in the morning, afternoon, and evening can go a long way in helping you reduce heel spur pain. You can also wear special splints that keep your foot flexed to stretch your plantar fascia and calf muscles at night. These splints are especially helpful in reducing heel pain that occurs first thing in the morning.

Keep reading: Plantar fasciitis stretches to soothe heel pain »

Cryoultrasound therapy combines the application of electromagnetic energy and cold therapy to relieve pain. The machine looks like a large wand that is moved over the foot and ankle. Research has found that Cryoultrasound therapy is an efficient treatment option for people with plantar fasciitis who also have heel spurs. Podiatrists and physical therapists often provide this therapy.

Corticosteroid injections don’t cure your heel spur, but they can help with some of the pain the heel spur causes. To perform the injection, your doctor will usually apply a numbing medicine to reduce any discomfort at the injection site. While the injection site can vary, most doctors will inject the medication on the inner or middle portion of the heel instead of the very bottom of it.

Although corticosteroid injections can help many people with bone spurs, there is a limit to how often or how many you can receive. This is because steroid injections can increase the likelihood of tendon rupture.

Learn more about heel pain »

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, your doctor will usually only recommend surgery for a heel spur if conservative methods like those above have failed. A variety of surgical procedures and approaches exist. The most common approach is to detach the plantar fascia ligament from the heel bone and remove the heel spur with special tools. This reduces pressure from the plantar fascia and removes the heel spur.

Nerve damage is a significant risk factor associated with the procedure. It’s also possible for the heel spur to come back after surgery. After the procedure, it can be several weeks until you can start to walk more normally and with less heel pain.

90,000 best folk remedies for heel spurs. Treatment of heel spurs with traditional medicine (recipes and methods)

According to statistics, every fifth person suffers from inflammation of the heel fascia, as a result of which a bone spike grows on the heels, causing severe pain and discomfort. Heel spurs can be cured not only with the help of medicines and surgery.

Some folk remedies for heel spurs based on the use of simple and inexpensive ingredients give excellent results.

We have collected the most effective recipes that will help you quickly get rid of the bone thorn.

Folk remedies for heel spurs: basic rules

Treatment with folk remedies can reduce pain and inflammation, as well as save the family budget. Most folk recipes are based on the use of simple and affordable products.

All folk ways to get rid of heel spurs can be divided into 4 types:

1. warming up;
2. quick compresses;
3. compresses at night;
4. herbal treatment.

It is advisable to consult your doctor before using prescriptions. Also, patients should understand that folk remedies are not a substitute for medical treatment prescribed by a doctor, but only effectively supplement it.

As a rule, the use of non-traditional methods is aimed at resorption of the bone spike, improving blood circulation and metabolism in the fascia.

Medicines and special orthopedic insoles are used to relieve inflammation and restore heel function.

Warming is the best remedy for heel spurs

Warming effectively relieves pain and softens the bony thorn. The course consists of twenty procedures that must be done daily.

The most popular recipes are:

1.

Serum treatment

Heat the product almost to a boil and dilute with water to a temperature that you can tolerate. Dip your feet in the solution until cool. The lactic acids contained in the serum actively act on pain receptors, suppressing them, and also help soften the bone growth.

2. Warming up with alcohol

It is necessary to take alcohol (even technical alcohol will do), vodka or moonshine, and dilute it with water until a 20-30 degree liquid is obtained. Heat the solution to +80 C. Boiling should not be allowed, because. the alcohol will evaporate! Then you need to lower your heels into the liquid for 10 minutes. Hot alcohol evaporates and improves metabolic processes in the tissues of the foot, and also has an excellent analgesic effect. It is not necessary to wipe your feet after the bath.

3. Warming up with clay

Take pharmacy clay and pour boiling water until you get a thick porridge. Apply this mixture on the skin of the heels and cover with cotton or linen napkin on top. After 30 min. Rinse the hardened clay with water and apply an ointment from the Pyatkashpor series to dissolve the softened build-up. Clay is a natural antiseptic and antioxidant, removes salts and prevents the growth of the thorn.

4. Warming up with sand

Sand is very heat-absorbing and warms up not only the muscles, but also the joints. Take sea (river) fine sand and heat it in the oven on a baking sheet. Stand with bare feet on the hot sand and stand until it cools. This method does not have an excellent massage effect, eliminates calluses, restores nerve receptors that are pinched due to inflammation.

5. Heating with pepper

The easiest way: you need to take a mixture of any hot peppers and pour into socks. From above, put on a bag and woolen or thick cotton socks or warm slippers. It is best to use microwave-heated slippers, which you can order on this site.

Walk like this for several hours. After removing the socks, wash your feet and spread with an ointment that contains emollients, for example, Pyatkashpor Ordinary.

Attention! Warming procedures are contraindicated in the presence of wounds on the feet, varicose veins, as well as in the acute stage of gynecological, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.

Complex treatment of heel spurs (plantar fasciitis) at home

The most effective non-surgical treatment of plantar fasciitis today is stretching the heel fascia with the help of special devices and exercises, combined with full unloading of the foot. Such an integrated approach gives excellent results and helps to eliminate pain, relieve inflammation of the heel tubercle.

When the plantar fascia is stretched, microtraumas are healed, the functions of the foot ligaments are restored. Salt deposits no longer accumulate around the damaged fascia, forming a heel spur. The growth stops growing and eventually disappears completely. Regular stretching of the fasciae of the foot helps to completely get rid of the spur, eliminates pain, and improves the quality of life.

All products for effective stretching of the fascia at home are combined in a unique kit for the heel spur ORTGUT FASCIUM.

The kit includes:

1. A night splint for a heel spur (orthosis) fixes the leg at an angle of 90 degrees with the maximum stretched fascia, eliminates morning “starting” pain.
2. Plantar fascia training band improves flexibility and elasticity of the ligaments in the foot.
3. Arch support for walking, effectively protecting the heel from stress and impact. Used during the day with shoes or on bare feet.
4. Massage ball for gymnastics with a heel spur strengthens the muscles of the foot, helps to relax after physical exertion, and normalizes blood circulation.

ORTGUT FASCIUM kit for plantar fasciitis helps to eliminate pain, normalizes gait, restores motor activity without surgery. Regular use of products from the kit helps to completely get rid of plantar fasciitis and prevent recurrence.

You can learn more about the kit, order it with delivery to any region of Russia by clicking on the link.

Folk recipes for heel spurs: compresses

Recipes for compresses will tell you how to remove the spur with folk remedies spending 1-3 hours a day. In combination with drug therapy, compresses will help get rid of fasciitis faster.

Important rules to remember before treating a heel spur at home with compresses:

1. Do not use aggressive chemicals.
2. Make sure that there is no allergy to the components of the compress mixture or solution.
3. Keep the compress for at least one hour.
4. After the procedure, apply foot cream “Pyatkashpor” to moisturize and soften the skin of the feet.
5. Take all medications prescribed by your doctor.
6. Attend scheduled physiotherapy sessions.
7. Use a Strutz day arch support and silicone heel pads to reduce stress on the fascia of the foot.

To make a compress, you need to take a gauze bandage, fixing bandage, food film or a bag, as well as woolen socks. All of the recipes below contain safe ingredients that effectively eliminate spurs with regular use.

Recipe 1: Potatoes and Butter

3-4 boil potatoes with skins on and grate. Add 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Apply warm mixture in the form of a lotion.

Recipe 2: Aspirin and iodine for heel spurs

Crush 4-5 aspirin tablets and mix with honey. This mixture well eliminates the pain and redness of the heels caused by the growth of the thorn. Look here for all the recipes for aspirin with iodine from the heel spur.

Recipe 3: Egg yolk with honey

Shake raw egg yolk and add honey. Put in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours. Before use, heat in a microwave oven or in a water bath.

Recipe 4: Heel Spur Garlic

Grate 3-4 cloves of garlic and apply to the heel. If you have sensitive skin, you can add vegetable or petroleum jelly to avoid burns. Here are 5 of the best garlic recipes for heel spurs.

Recipe 5: Garlic and chalk to soften spurs

Crush the chalk and grate the garlic in a ratio of 1 : 1. Apply the resulting mixture immediately. After washing your feet, apply a moisturizer.

Recipe 6: Onion with tar

Take 1 large onion, grate and add a spoonful of tar or tar shampoo. If you are allergic to tar, you can use only grated onion, which perfectly softens keratinized areas and relieves inflammation.

Recipe 7: Turpentine with ammonia

Mix liquids 1 to 1 and apply for half an hour. This recipe requires caution, because. you can get a chemical burn. Do not increase the exposure time of the compress and wash your feet thoroughly after the procedure!

Recipe 8: Egg with Heel Spur Vinegar

Mix a raw egg with half an ordinary glass of vinegar and add butter. Heat the mixture until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Keep the compress until a crust is obtained, which is then carefully removed and smeared on the heels with a special cream for the treatment of spurs.

See also top 5 heel spur treatment recipes with egg and vinegar.

Recipe 9: Black radish to reduce bone thorn

Grate the radish with the peel and apply to the spur.

Recipe 10: Medical bile

Prepare the solution according to the instructions and apply a compress. There are many folk recipes on how to treat a heel spur with medical bile, but the use of ointments with this substance, designed specifically to eliminate heel spurs and calluses, has the greatest effect.

Night compresses: recipes for heel spurs

Night compresses are made from ingredients that have a mild effect. Such folk recipes for the treatment of heel spurs have practically no contraindications and can be used by people with sensitive skin and foot neuropathy.

1. Kombucha

Take a piece of the mushroom, put it on a gauze pad and make a compress. Substances contained in kombucha have aseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is important that the compress is constantly wet, so at night you will have to moisten the gauze 1-2 times.

2. Bischofite

Like sea salt from a heel spur, bischofite contains many minerals, which helps to normalize metabolism and reduce bone growth. For a compress, you need to prepare a gel or liquid solution of bischofite, which is applied to the heel with a gauze swab. After waking up, the legs must be washed and smeared with heel spur cream.

3. Propolis

Gently eliminates inflammation and softens rough skin around the spike. Before applying the compress, propolis must be softened in hot water and made into a cake. Attach to the heel and secure with a bandage. One piece of propolis can be used several times.

4. Baby cream with vinegar and raw egg

Unlike the traditional recipe with raw egg and vinegar, a rich baby cream is added here, which neutralizes the negative effect of acetic acid and softens the growth. This method helps to cope with pain, eliminates redness of the heel and reduces growth.

Overnight recipes for heel spurs are safe and effective, but not always easy to use: few people enjoy the smell of vinegar and bischofite in bed.

Strasbourg night sock can be used to repair damaged fascia during sleep. This device does not cause discomfort and fixes the feet in a position in which the fascia is restored as quickly as possible.

Regular use of the Strasbourg sock at night will not only help to stop inflammation, but also prevent the growth of spurs due to the normalization of blood circulation in the connective tissues of the heel.

Treatment of heel spurs with folk medicine using herbs

Considering folk ways to get rid of spurs on the heels, one cannot but mention the treatment with herbs. To eliminate growths and relieve pain, fresh and dry herbs are used, from which tinctures are prepared.

The recipe for preparing the tincture is very simple: take the herb and pour boiling water from the kettle. Infuse for 30-60 minutes, then dilute with water to the required amount and take a foot bath. You can also make a healing lotion from herbs.

What herbs help to remove spurs on the feet? For the preparation of tinctures or lotions you can use:

• Chernobyl;
• cocklebur;
• nettle;
• lilac flowers;
• chamomile, etc.

It is important that the herbs have an aseptic and anti-inflammatory effect.

See also the top 5 recipes for treating heel spurs with burdock, where the most popular and effective methods are considered.

You can also use homemade aloe: cut the leaf lengthwise and apply fresh sections to the heel fascia for a couple of hours.

Reflexotherapy – an effective folk remedy for heel spurs Maltsev. This reflex method is based on Chinese su-jok therapy: you need to take a sharpened pencil and gently poke the heel in search of the most painful place.

After the painful point is found, it is required to take a grain of wheat or buckwheat, and roll it on the heel periodically pressing on the painful point. The seed can be glued with adhesive tape and do the usual things.

This method of reflexology promotes the restoration of nerve receptors, pinched by the inflamed fascia.

Do traditional methods for heel spurs help?

Effective treatment of heel spurs with folk remedies is possible only when combined with drug therapy and physiotherapy.

Proper unloading of the heel fascia is of great importance, especially for persons suffering from flat feet and overweight. Even the most effective treatment will not help if the heel tissues are constantly damaged when walking.

To prevent this with spurs, wear these insoles or special heel pads. At night, use a Strasbourg sock to restore fascia.

Only with a combination of all methods, heel spur treatment with medicines and folk remedies perfectly complement each other, you can be cured of the disease forever.

To prevent the recurrence of spikes, it is recommended to wear heel pads for spurs, follow a diet and take proper care of the feet.

Treatment of heel spurs with natural methods

Contents

1. Several causes of spurs

2. Help in the treatment of heel spurs

3. How to avoid the disease

The heel spur is a pathological disease, characterized by bone growth in the form of a spike on the plantar surface. Accompanied by severe pain during movement.

This ailment is increasingly common in young and old people, leads to the appearance of spurs microrupture of the ligaments that carry the entire human weight when walking.

Several causes of spurs

• Diseases of the joints;
• Foot loads;
• Metabolic disorders in the body;
• Flat feet;
• Incorrect wearing of shoes;
• Arthritis of the joint;
• Damage to the heel.

Help in the treatment of heel spurs

Nowadays, most people have resorted to alternative treatment, which combines various methods. But it is worth remembering the fact that self-treatment will be effective only in cases where the disease is in the initial stage of development.

Since ancient times, it has been believed that good health depends on the harmony of man and nature. Some methods of treatment with folk remedies were tested by our grandmothers and have survived to this day.

1. Walking barefoot in the dew for about 40 minutes every morning. This method will reduce swelling and stop the inflammatory process.
2. Heated fine sea sand can warm you to the bone. It is necessary to warm up the sand at night and put a sore leg on it and keep it until it cools down. Relieves pain symptoms and inflammation.
3. Softened propolis in the form of a cake is applied to the spur and fixed with a gauze bandage. It has a preventive effect on resorption and suspension of spur growth.
4. Chaga kombucha compress is done on a well-steamed heel. A piece of chaga is attached and secured with a bandage. It is recommended to leave overnight and repeat the procedure 1-2 times a week. This method can prevent infectious development and alleviate pain signals.
5. A compress of fresh coltsfoot leaves, burdock and plantain will have anti-inflammatory effects.
6. Use more herbal infusions.

However, it should be remembered that methods should be taken into account based on the cause that caused such a disease. It must be remembered that the measures taken should be aimed at reducing the inflammatory process. If the form of the disease is already protracted, then in no case should you resort to treatment on your own, it is better to consult a doctor. He will identify the cause of the disease and prescribe a complex of treatment.

It should include warm baths with sea salt, soda. Do gymnastics and medical massage of the muscles of the feet and lower legs to improve blood circulation. In the acute period, bed rest with the use of antibiotic therapy and the use of a course of laser therapy should be observed.

How to avoid the onset of an illness

It is better to prevent the appearance of any disease than to treat it later. The use of preventive measures will create an obstacle to the appearance of an unpleasant ailment on the heels:

• You should control your weight and follow a diet;
• Prevent flat feet by using orthopedic insoles;
• Foot massage and relaxation baths;
• Wearing comfortable shoes;
• Lead an active lifestyle.

At the end of the article, I would like to remind you that any folk remedies are good, only they should be used after consulting a doctor. And be prepared that you will have to repeat the procedures in order to consolidate the effect achieved.

Turning to us, you will receive qualified treatment with the help of reflexology, massage, selection of orthopedic insoles, anti-inflammatory injections. Remember – self-treatment is dangerous!

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