In people with plantar fasciitis of Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs are also commonly seen.
The heel spur is a hook of bone protruding from the bottom of the foot.
The bone growth results as a response to repeated strain to the muscles and ligaments of the foot, especially the plantar fascia.
On xray, this is seen as a bony protrusion which may or may not cause pain.
The heel spur itself is not the cause of pain but rather the inflamed tissue around the spur.
What home remedies can be done for heel spurs? The best thing is to treat the cause of the problem.
Rest Your Feet Since injury and inflammation is a common cause, the basic thing that you can do is to rest the foot.
You should stay off your feet for a couple of days to a week, depending on the severity of the swelling and pain.
Avoid activities that can worsen the pain such as running, jumping, exercise, or prolonged standing.
Apply ice to the foot To help relieve some of the inflammation and pain, apply an ice pack over the painful area for 15 minutes, two to three times a day.
Use proper footwear Wear properly fitting shoes with good cushion.
Avoid standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time.
Avoid wearing high heeled shoes, shoes with inadequate arch support, and shoes with thin soles.
All of these can worsen heel spur symptoms.
Avoid walking barefoot Walking barefoot further stretches out the ligament at the bottom of the foot and this can cause more pain in the morning.
Over the counter pain medications NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve pain and swelling around the heel spur.
Drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen do alleviate heel pain but bear in mind that these do not treat the underlying cause of a heel spur.
Limit medications for a maximum of two weeks and if you still feel pain after this period, consult your podiatrist for proper evaluation.
Give your foot a massage Rubbing across the painful area using the thumb to help relieve pain.
A regular foot massage also helps with flexibility.
Apply heat for maintenance Applying heat using a heating pad for 20 minutes a day helps bring more blood to the area.
This aids in lessening inflammation and improves healing.
Lose excess weight Being overweight puts added load to the feet and heels.
Daily foot stretches Doing foot and calf exercises on a regular basis helps maintain flexibility and improve the strength of the muscles and tendons.
This would prevent injury and help prevent further heel pain.
Do gentle foot stretches in the morning before getting out of bed.
To successfully treat heel pain at home, it is important to identify the cause and prevent the factors that can aggravate heel spurs.
For more information on heel pain and nonsurgical treatment options such as ESWT, visit naplesheelpain.
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