Heel spur

[CatLover49]

Hey everyone..Ive got a heel spur..and sometimes it bothers me more times than others..My PCP ordered xray and yep its a heel spur...Yes my Dr has told me my options...Anyone on here got any advice or tips to help with pain...And also that cortisone shot..think thats the name of it..I heard that hurts like crazy...Any advice or tips would highly be appreciated...TIA

 

[EmersonandEvie]

I'm pretty sure that I had a heel spur that I just...dealt with for almost two years. What helped me was to get a compression sock that forced my foot to stay arched (it was awful in the mornings when I first got up, I would limp for several feet before the foot felt right). Also stretch your heel several times a day.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I had foot pain a few years ago and they found a small spur on xray. Sometimes it would feel like someone was driving a nail into my heel. The podiatrist sent me to physical therapy (which helped a lot!) and gave me advice on finding shoes with good support.

The Physical Therapist was actually the most helpful for practical advice. He was the one who told me I don’t have flat feet (something I’ve been told many times over my entire life) but collapsing arches. It turned out I was missing a lot of my range of motion in my ankles. He said I only had enough to stand! It also explained why I always had so much trouble in gym class and with sports.

I wear good arch supports in my shoes (Tread Labs brand. Awesome customer service and they come in different arch heights. I wear different arch heights in each shoe.) and I mostly wear athletic shoes. If I’m going to walk a lot or hike I go for my thicker soled NewBalance ones. For day to day I wear Merrell running shoes. In the summer I wear Merrell sandals. Those are what clued me in to needing arch support. With that my foot pain is gone!

After that I haven’t needed to see the Podiatrist again. He didn’t want to jump right to cortisone injections. DH had one in his knees and he won’t be voluntarily repeating that. (It didn’t help him anyway.) But I know some people who say it does help immensely.

Good luck!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Oh yes! Stretching my feet every morning before I stand up at all helps a lot!! The PT showed me how.

 

[susanm9006]

I haven’t had them in my feet but several cortisone shots in my shoulder. I didn’t think it hurt much worse than an ordinary injection. But my shoulder pain at that time was about an 8 out of 10 so couldn’t hurt much worse.

 

[CatLover49]

I had foot pain a few years ago and they found a small spur on xray. Sometimes it would feel like someone was driving a nail into my heel. The podiatrist sent me to physical therapy (which helped a lot!) and gave me advice on finding shoes with good support.

The Physical Therapist was actually the most helpful for practical advice. He was the one who told me I don’t have flat feet (something I’ve been told many times over my entire life) but collapsing arches. It turned out I was missing a lot of my range of motion in my ankles. He said I only had enough to stand! It also explained why I always had so much trouble in gym class and with sports.

I wear good arch supports in my shoes (Tread Labs brand. Awesome customer service and they come in different arch heights. I wear different arch heights in each shoe.) and I mostly wear athletic shoes. If I’m going to walk a lot or hike I go for my thicker soled NewBalance ones. For day to day I wear Merrell running shoes. In the summer I wear Merrell sandals. Those are what clued me in to needing arch support. With that my foot pain is gone!

After that I haven’t needed to see the Podiatrist again. He didn’t want to jump right to cortisone injections. DH had one in his knees and he won’t be voluntarily repeating that. (It didn’t help him anyway.) But I know some people who say it does help immensely.

Good luck!

Is one if the reasons DH wont voluntarily get another cortisone shot...cause it hurt so much...thats what ive heard

 

[neely]

And also that cortisone shot..think thats the name of it..I heard that hurts like crazy.

My job requires me to be on my feet a lot and one day while at work I was in excruciating pain. I called the foot doctor who specializes in sports medicine and although not a heel spur he gave me a cortisone shot in both feet. Honestly it didn't hurt at all so don't believe everything you hear.

 

[DreamerRose]

There are shoe pads at the drugstore that have a hole in the middle of the heel to relieve pain, if the spur is in that area. I crushed the bottom of one heel a long time ago, and I was in agony for a long time before it healed. I wish I had known about the pads then. It would have been perfect. Here's a list on Amazon that had all kinds of pads: Heel Spurs Relief: Amazon.com

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Is one if the reasons DH wont voluntarily get another cortisone shot...cause it hurt so much...thats what ive heard

I would think going into the heel would be "easier" than a joint like a shoulder or knee. But anticipation can make things way worse. I'm not squeamish at all; but even I don't watch my own blood work (although I'll look once they stick me). Half the time I don't even feel it.

There are lots of things you can do to help with foot pain. Supports, stretches, massage balls/rollers (I have those too ), exercises, meds. Sometimes it takes a little exploring to find what will help you.

 

[Jem]

I would definitely find a physical or massage therapist who can provide therapy.
A heel spur happens over time, usually due to chronic tension and inflammation from the plantar fascia. If you can release the tissue and improve function, it will help immensely with the pain and stop the spur from getting worse.
Also, don't forget your legs! The fascia from the bottom of the foot runs ALL the way up to the lower back area. I found treatment was much more effective when I included the entire fascial train.

As for cortizone shots, I've heard both side from my patients. It was excruciating and "not that bad". The results also vary. Some people only need one and their good to go, while others it didn't even help at all.
You need to be careful with cortizone shots as they should NOT be used as long term treatment solutions as over time it can make the condition worse. But they are excellent as a way to remove the acute inflammation so that treatment and therapy can happen to hopefully correct the problem.

Cushioned yet supportive footwear will help. You want to try and find something that takes the strain off the arch but also provides cushioning to the spur so pressure while walking or standing doesn't irritate it.

Self care will help also.
Stretch your legs and feet daily, at least morning and night. You can massage the bottoms of your feet with a foot roller and if things are inflamed and irritated you can help lessen inflammation by freezing a water bottle and rolling that under your foot.
BEFORE you get out of bed in the morning, do the leg and foot stretches and do a quick rub on the bottoms of your feet. It will help that first "ouch" of the day when you get out of bed and step down
There are also devices that you can wear at night that keep your feet extended so that the plantar fascia does not "shorten" overnight.

Many people have heel spurs but in several cases it's not the spur itself that causes the pain, it's the tissue around it, and the cause of the spur to develop, that causes the pain. So if you want to put off surgery, you may be able to live pretty well pain free if you take care of your feet and legs.

If I think of other things I'll let you know...