Heel Spurs and Plantar Fasciitis Treatment in Delhi, India

The majority of bone spurs do not present any clinical symptoms and may not be diagnosed unless revealed on a routine x-ray. In some cases, bone spurs result in pain and impact joint mobility.

Symptoms depend on the location of the bone spurs, such as:

1. Knee

   Bone spurs in the knee can cause extending and bending the leg pain.

2. Spine

   Bone spurs narrow the space between vertebrae impinge on the nerve roots and cause weakness, pain or numbness in the arms or legs.

3. Hip

   Bone spurs can cause pain during hip movements and lower the range of motion in the hip joint.

Heel spurs are commonly caused by:

1. Arthritis
2. Poorly fitted shoes
3. Long-term muscle and ligament strain
4. Bruising of the heel
5. Excess body weight
6. Wearing flip-flops too often
7. Repetitive stress from routine activities such as walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces
8. Improper or worn-out footwear
9. Walking, gait issues

Many people with a heel spur also have plantar fasciitis.

Some underlying medical conditions responsible for causing heel spurs to include:

1. reactive arthritis (Reiter's disease)
2. diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis
3. plantar fasciitis
4. ankylosing spondylitis

Doctors record the patient's medical history and perform a physical examination. In addition, the doctor may advise imaging tests to evaluate the cause of heel pain.

Heel Spurs Physical Examination

A physical examination is performed to look for any signs of redness or inflammation.

Bone Spurs Tests

1. X-rays

   X-rays provide clear images of bones. As a result, they help rule out other causes of heel pain, such as fractures or arthritis. In addition, heel spurs can be viewed on x-rays.

2. Other Imaging Tests

   Other imaging modalities, like ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), can also be used to diagnose plantar fasciitis. An MRI scan might be used if the heel pain is not relieved by the initial treatment.

1. Nonsurgical Treatment for Bone Spurs

   Most patients with plantar fasciitis show improvement after starting simple treatment methods within ten to twelve months. Decreasing or avoiding activities that trigger pain helps reduce most of the discomfort. For instance, not running on hard surfaces can reduce pain episodes to a great extent.

   Applying an ice pack or rolling the feet over a cold-water bottle for 10 minutes every two hours provides relief.

   1. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory can reduce pain and inflammation.
   2. Stretching the calves and plantar fascia can lower pain to a great extent.
   3. Steroid injections such as cortisone are powerful inflammatory medications. They can be injected into the plantar fascia to lower inflammation and pain. However, multiple steroid injections can cause the plantar fascia to rupture or tear, which may lead to chronic pain and a flat foot.
   4. Wearing supportive shoes and orthotics can lower pain. Shoes with thick soles and extra padding help with standing and walking comfortably. Soft heel pads can also provide additional support.
   5. The majority of people sleep with their feet pointed downward, which relaxes the plantar fascia and causes morning heel pain. A night splint causes stretching of the plantar fascia while asleep. It can be used till the pain wears off.
   6. A physiotherapist can help work with specialized exercise programs to stretch the calf muscles and plantar fascia.
   7. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy stimulates the healing process in the damaged fascia by sending high-energy shockwave impulses. It is a non-invasive method but is not applied frequently.

2. Bone Spurs Surgical Treatment

   Surgery for heel spurs is only considered after twelve months of non-surgical treatment that fails to provide relief. Some surgical options include:

   1. Gastrocnemius recession for heel spurs

      This process involves surgical lengthening of the calf muscles. Tight calf muscles increase the stress on the plantar fascia causing pain. This procedure helps patients who face difficulty flexing their feet.

   2. Plantar fascia release for bone spurs

      Partial release of the fascia is recommended when the range of ankle motion is normal, but heel pain still prevails. During the surgery, the plantar fascia ligament is partially incised to relieve tension within the tissue.