3 Home Treatments for Heel Spurs

A heel spur is essentially a deposit of calcium that extends from the heel bone, which can cause discomfort as you walk. Sometimes, and especially in the early stages, a heel spur can go unnoticed, but at its worst it can make moving around a real pain – literally.

If you suspect that you might have heel spurs in their early stages, you can try some home treatments to ease the pain and heal the spur. Here are a few methods that you can try.

Cider vinegar. Calcium deposits can occur because of excess acid in your system, and a way of combating this is to introduce an alkali to the heel spur, which will help to dissolve the spur and ease the pain when you walk. Cider vinegar is one such alkali, and there are a few ways that you can introduce it to your heel spur. You can either soak a piece of paper towel in cider vinegar and insert this into your shoe, or you can mix a tablespoon of cider vinegar with honey and add this to warm water and drink this every day until the pain subsides. Experiment with both treatments to see which works for you.

Coconut oil. Coconut oil is a wonder product and one of its best properties is its anti-inflammatory effects, which is good news for anyone who wants to reduce the size of an irritating heel spur. Again, coconut oil is something that is both safe to be ingested and used externally. All health shops will stock both coconut oil capsules, which you can consume, as well as unrefined coconut oil in a tub, which you can massage into your weary feet.

Bicarbonate of Soda. Bicarbonate of soda is another one of those miracle ingredients. You can use it in baking, in cleaning, and also to wear down the calcium deposits on your heels. Turn bicarbonate of soda into a paste with a little water, spread it on to the affected area, and then seal it with duct tape. Do this daily and you will soon notice a difference.

If you are not sure if your heel pain is the result of heel spurs or not, you should book an appointment at your local podiatric practice to have a professional x-ray. Also, if you try home treatments but they are ineffective in curing the pain, be sure to lean on the professional advice of your podiatrist.