Home remedies for heel spurs are often not necessary because a heel spur does not always cause any pain. If you have pain in the foot and you have a heel spur, it may not be the spur itself that is causing the pain, but inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis.
According to my podiatrist plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick ligament that runs from the heel bone to the ball of the foot. This problem can be caused by degeneration (wearing out) of the plantar fascia with age, or it may be related to stressing of the plantar fascia during sports or exercise such as running or doing a lot of walking.
Heel spurs often go along with plantar fasciitis. People who have had foot pain for some years are likely to have a heel spur, which is an extra hook of bone that forms on the heel bone. Some people can feel it and for others it is visible on an X ray. Sometimes the spur will form even when there is no foot pain, in this case, we suggest to visit your podiatrist middletown oh to get a better advise.
The pain is usually worse in the morning. This is because the ligament contracts while we sleep. When we get out of bed and start to walk on the foot, the ligament is forced to stretch again. After a time (perhaps a few minutes, perhaps an hour) it becomes accustomed to the stretch and the pain fades, only to return if we do a lot of walking or standing.
Home remedies for heel spurs usually focus on reducing the pain from the inflammation of the plantar fascia. This morning pain can be helped by wearing a foot split that prevents the foot from curling during the night. This means that the ligament does not contract, so it is ready for walking right away when we get up.
When the pain is particularly bad, like after you have had to walk or stand for a long time, ice will often relieve it. You can rest your foot on an ice pack or freeze small bottles of water and then roll them under the foot. The principle of 5 minutes on, 5 minutes off is good with ice.
Heel spur remedies that may be recommended by a doctor include shoe inserts to relieve the pressure while you walk, and anti inflammatory medications.
You can also perform exercises to stretch the muscles around the heel. These include the calf muscles. Put your hands on a wall with the arms straight out in front of you, so you are leaning on the wall. Have one foot right below your shoulder, with the knee of that leg slightly bent. Take the other foot back a little way, keep the leg straight and the foot flat on the floor. You should feel the stretch in the calf muscle. Hold for a count of 10, then change legs. Repeat 3 times.
It is important to perform these stretching exercises regularly morning and evening, even when you do not have pain. They can be very effective in preventing a return of the problem. Use these home remedies for heel spurs along with any advice given by your doctor.