What is a Heel Spur?
A heel spur is a growth of extra bone on the heel bone (calcaneus). It may form when the plantar fascia, the connective tissue extending from the bottom of the heel bone to the base of the toes, pulls excessively on the heel. The spur may be painful as it develops, but it may become less painful as the foot adjusts to it. Most spurs can be treated without surgery.
A heel spur on the back of the heel may be helped by some of the treatments in this document, but the heel spurs to which this page is referring are the more common type, which are located on the inside, front, and bottom of the heel (a.k.a. a “medial subcalcaneal exostosis” or “inner tubercle of the os calcis” or “medial calcaneal tubercle”). The spur is not usually, or possibly ever, solid bone. The spur is calcium that has deposited in the fascia in a process called calcification and it is bendable like cartilage. When too much tension in the plantar fascia results in heel pain, the Merck manual calls it “heel spur syndrome,” or “the beginning stages of heel spur syndrome if it cannot be seen on an X-ray.” The Merck Manual says plantar fasciitis is when the pain is along the length of the plantar fascia. This has the advantage of keeping the definitions of plantar fasciitis and heel spur syndrome separate, but few doctors adhere to this naming convention. Contrary to the Merck Manua
A heel spur is a bony segment of calcium deposit that grows on the underside of a person’s heel. Typically, a heel spur causes no pain and does not grow unless severe tension occurs on the plantar fascia ligament, which connects the muscles on the bottom of the foot. When this ligament stretches, which can be caused by overexertion or from an increased amount of weight being placed on it, it can become swollen. This condition is called plantar fasciitis and requires medical care. In 70% of plantar fasciitis cases, a heel spur is evident. When plantar fasciitis sets in, the bony protrusion of the heel spur pokes into the swollen ligament, which is why many people believe heel spurs and plantar fasciitis are closely linked. In reality, they are two separate conditions. A heel spur alone never causes pain until the plantar fascia ligament becomes swollen. Typically, plantar fasciitis is treated with rest, ice packs, and muscle rubs. Once the condition is reversed, doctors recommend purcha
