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Heel spurs can develop over time and can contribute to heel pain in the long run.
This is why you should do whatever it takes to seek medical treatment and not wait for it to worsen.
And being the caring ice pack connoisseurs that we are, we’re going to help by giving you a detailed write-up on how to treat heel spurs.
Let’s jump in and learn how to treat them.
Before you start treating your heel spur, it’s important to know that heel spurs are caused by underlying conditions like plantar fasciitis. Due to the irritation caused by these conditions, calcium deposits begin to accumulate – forming what’s known as a heel spur.
This is helpful to know because it allows you to find the best way to treat them.
While removing the bony growths through surgery is an option, many healthcare providers first recommend conservative treatments. Don’t trouble yourself treating the bony spurs; instead, focus on treating the underlying condition.
With the proper treatment, you’ll help decrease your heel pain and stop more calcium deposits from forming.
We’ve listed some of the treatments for you here:
Ice packs. It’s good to apply a cold pack when you have pain and inflammation in the heel. Applying a cold pack, like our 4x7 Instant Ice Pack, to the painful area can help reduce pain and inflammation.
Remember to leave the ice on for 15-20 minutes 2-3 times daily. Once the irritation stops, calcium deposits will no longer accumulate at the heel.
Rest. Getting enough rest is one of the best things to do when it comes to treating heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. Make sure to rest after prolonged standing and other activities that put a ton of stress on your heel. Getting off your feet helps alleviate pain and prevent your injury from getting worse.
There are some instances when you won’t be able to give your feet a break anytime you want, like when your work demands you to stand for long periods. If that’s the case, you should at least sit down at intervals during work hours.
Taking a break once in a while will give your feet a breather. This ensures your feet stay rested and healthy.
Stretching and strengthening exercises.Your muscles become tight, and this can cause pain in the area. Therefore, foot muscles will need to be strengthened and stretched in order to reduce heel pain.
Watch this video to learn about the five best treatments for heel injuries.
You can also seek the services of a physical therapist to help you recover. They can prescribe strengthening and stretching exercises for you to do at the gym or at home.
Over-the-counter medications. A handful of available medications on the market can help relieve your heel pain. You can try taking analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs to help decrease the pain.
Even if they’re helpful, it’s best to consult your doctor before taking any medications.
Injection of anti-inflammatory medications. Your doctor may recommend corticosteroid shots if you have severe pain. These injections can help ease the pain at the heel.
You’ll want to be informed about the different side effects that come along with these medications, however, because the side effects could negatively affect you. Remember to clear out any doubts that you might have with your doctor before deciding to go this route.
Wear a shoe insert. Wearing a shoe insert, like an ortho pad, can help support the arch and heel, helping to reduce pain. Wearing heel pads can also minimize the wear and tear on your feet.
While wearing shoe inserts is helpful, it can’t replace the importance of wearing the right type of shoes, so ask a professional about the proper shoes for you. You know what they say – prevention is better than cure.
Wearing a splint. Most people sleep with their feet pointing down, and this causes the plantar fascia to relax, which is one reason for morning heel pain. Wearing a splint at night helps keep the plantar fascia stretched while you sleep. This is an effective method for reducing the morning pain in your heel.
Those are some of the treatments you can do for your heel spur. Remember, the goal is to treat the symptoms of the underlying condition, not the heel spurs themselves.
Once you do this, you’ll help stop the accumulation of calcium deposits, which will stop the growth of the heel spur.
Overall, there’s a wide range of treatments available for heel pain. Make sure to talk to your healthcare provider about other options you can try aside from what we listed in this article.
Now that you know how to treat heel spurs let’s take a closer look at what they are.
Heel spurs, also known as bone spurs, are present in 1 out of 10 people.
These bony protrusions are often found behind the heel bone, and while they don’t cause pain for some people, others still scour the internet to search for answers on how to treat them.
They’re formed by calcium deposits that accumulate at the heel bone and are commonly caused by underlying conditions such as plantar fasciitis.
All right, now that we know what heel spurs are let’s take a closer look at how they form in your heel.
In plantar fasciitis, the plantar fascia is irritated and tightens up, which causes pain and inflammation in the heel area. The inflammation triggers calcified deposits that accumulate in the heel, which form heel spurs. This normal response happens when the tissues – in this case, the plantar fascia – are irritated.
If left untreated, heel spurs can form over the years, which means that the older you get, the more prominent they become.
For this reason, it’s common for older people to have more prominent heel spurs than those who are young.
To close out this section, we’ll leave an informative video about heel spurs from the most famous physical therapists on the internet, Bob and Brad.
The growth of heel spurs is a response to pain and inflammation in the heel area, but many assume that the heel spurs themselves are the problem. The truth is, they’re actually caused by underlying conditions that cause heel pain, like plantar fasciitis.
For that reason, treatment should be geared toward alleviating these conditions and not the heel spurs themselves. While surgical removal of the spurs is an option, many healthcare providers don’t recommend doing this. Instead, they recommend undergoing conservative treatment first before considering surgery. Once you address the cause of the painful heel, the calcium deposits should stop accumulating in the area.
Here at Icewraps.com, we want you to get the pain relief you’ve been longing for, so make sure to check out our instant ice packs to treat your heel spurs. We want you to be at the top of your game, not limited.
At IceWraps.com, pain relief is only a click away!
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