Heel spur

As if a needle is stuck in
the sole of the foot

The foot is made up of many bones. One of these is the calcaneus - the bone in the heel. Heavy strain can cause a heel spur, a bony outgrowth on the heel. The strain causes small tears at the point where the foot plate tendon or the Achilles tendon is attached to the heel bone. The injury causes the area to become inflamed and painful.

Cause of heel spur

The overload is caused, for example, by a flat arch in old age, obesity, intensive sport or poorly fitting shoes. As a result, the arch of the foot collapses and the tendon underneath is forcibly stretched. With repeated strain or if this condition persists for a long time, the body tries to relieve the foot and deposits calcium and the tissue can become inflamed.

Symptoms: How does heel spur manifest itself?

Many sufferers do not notice the heel spur at first, as it does not always cause discomfort. However, if it is at an advanced stage, the heel hurts when walking, as if a nail is stuck in the sole of the foot. The discomfort usually increases with exertion. Those affected can hardly walk or roll their foot. In addition to the typical pressure pain, the symptoms of heel spurs often include pain when starting up in the morning.

Heel spur diagnosis

The symptoms usually speak for themselves. Another indication is when pressure on the front edge of the heel sole at the back of the shoe or at the base of the Achilles tendon causes pain. There is swelling and redness, which the doctor will notice during the examination. The ossification can also be clearly seen on a lateral X-ray.

Treatment: How is heel spur treated?

The most important thing in treatment is to relieve the strain. As part of conservative treatment, your orthopaedic specialist can prescribe shoe inserts, for example. Medication, cold or shock wave therapy can also alleviate the pain.

If conservative measures do not work, heel spur surgery is possible. Here, the foot surgeon uses endoscopy to partially detach the plantar tendon from the heel bone, thus reducing the strain or pull of the tendon on the attachment to the heel bone.