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Saturday 13 April 2013

About Heel spurs

A calcaneal heel spur is a bony outgrowth that occurs on heel bone (calcaneus) and typically tip or hook-shaped.

The primary symptom of a heel spurs is pain or tenderness, which worsens when the foot burdened by body weight (for example, when you set off or supports on the foot). The symptoms of a heel spurs can be very annoying and for some, they can even be temporarily debilitating.

What is the cause of a heel spurs?


A heel spurs occur when a particular area of the body (e.g. the heel) are exposed to repetitive loads over a longer period of time. The body's reaction to this is to form lime in the loaded area. This results in the formation of a heel spurs.

Heel spursr can occur at the back of the heel or under the heel (the sole of the foot). However, they can also occur elsewhere on the body such as the arms or hands – typically in places which burdened a lot.

Plantar fascia


Long piece of connective tissue which supports the foot's arch. This connective tissue is also called the plantar fascia and has a central role in relation to heel spurs and a few other problems in the feet.

When the plantar fascia inflammes this results in pain and tenderness around the heel. It is important to underline that it is not heel spurs in itself that is causing the symptoms, but on the other hand, heel spurs inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is the cause of the symptoms.

Plantar fasciitis and heel spurs


Plantar fasciitis (plantar fascitis or fascitis plantaris) is an expression – actually a diagnosis –  which is used somewhat interchangeably for different types of foot pain. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation condition that occurs in the plantar fascia. This does not include heel spurs in the sense that a heel spurs is not the same as plantar fasciitis – but on the other hand, a heel spurs be the reason that the plantar fascia inflammes.

The difference between the above is best illustrated in the fact that patients may have heel spurs without having symptoms, but may not have plantar fasciitis without having symptoms.

Although heel spurs and plantar fasciitis should not be ignored, the two are related and also have much in common — for example,. treatment is often the same as the risk factors are almost identical. In addition, the exact correlation between heel spursand plantar fasciitis is not yet understood by medical science.

Risk Factors


The following factors increase the risk for development of heel spurs are:

Excess Weight
Age (people over 40 years of age are most at risk of developing heel spurs)
Sport and physical activity that involves running, jumps and leaps
Deformities in the foot

In addition, shoes with poor shock absorption contribute to the development of heel spurs. The same is true if we increase training volume over a short period of time.

Symptoms of heel spurs


A heel spurs does not necessarily have symptoms and, in some cases, it takes several years before the symptoms occur. The typical pain by a heel spurs occur on the inside of the heel or under the heel. The pain is also often thus:

The pain is worse when you start to walk or run (for example, in the morning)
The pain decreases when the foot is hot (e.g. along the morning)
The pain Returns or worsens after prolonged walking or running (individually)

In addition, experience many, the pain worsens day after overload – IE. If, for example, runs extra far one day, will the pain worsens day after.

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