Four Tips for Treating Heel Spurs

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If you feel sharp pains in the heels of your feet while standing or walking, you might be experiencing heel spurs. These occur due to a tiny bony protrusion from calcium deposits on the bone. Here are some treatments for this foot condition.

Get Regular Exercise

While it may seem like resting is the best way to treat heel spurs, this can make it worse. While resting will take the pressure off your feet and offer temporary relief for the bone spur pain in the heels, that pain will return once you step on the floor after resting. The better thing to do is to reduce activity, but still get moderate exercise. You should try to walk or stand on your feet for a good amount of time during the day. Sitting too long at work means the pain will come back with a vengeance when it is time to go on your lunch break or leave for the day. Try to keep walking, but be gentle and don't overdo it.

Take Pain Relievers

Another way to relieve some of the pain from the heel spurs is to take anti-inflammatory pain relievers. Some good options include ibuprofen and aspirin. You can start with over-the-counter medications, making sure you follow the directions on the bottle and not take more than what is recommended. If these are not working for you, ask your podiatrist if they can prescribe you something a little stronger for the pain. It is not uncommon to take pills along with some of the other treatments.

Have Custom Orthotics Made

If these non-surgical treatments aren't effective, your podiatrist might also recommend getting custom orthotics. These make it more comfortable to stand and walk.. The orthotics are specially made to not only fit your feet and shoes, but also to help support the weight of your body when standing or walking. They can also be used to help correct some of the issues with your arch and heel, which contribute to the pain associated with heel spurs. 

Ask for Cortisone Injections

Finally, medical treatment for heel spurs often includes getting cortisone injections. These injections are made of cortisteroid, a type of medication that helps to reduce inflammation. This inflammation can worsen the problem and cause more severe pain. You can only get them a limited umber of times, so they should be used in combination with other treatment methods.  


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