4 Causes of Heel Spurs
A bone spur is a bump on your heel that occurs at or near the insertion point of the plantar fascia (the tissue that forms the arch of your foot) where it connects to the heel bone. Heel spurs form as a response to the rubbing from tight-fitting shoes like high heels, so eliminating the poorly fitting shoes often allows the problem to subside. Additionally, custom orthotic inserts can be used to redistribute pressure and allow healing to commence.
4 causes or contributing factors to the development of bone spurs include the following:
Wearing shoes that are too tight—Footwear that is too tight or that doesn’t have the proper arch support can contribute to excess pressure and rubbing in the heel area.
High impact activities—High impact sports such as basketball and tennis that involve a lot of jumping and running can contribute to the formation of bone spurs. So can being on your feet all day for your job.
Being severely overweight—Being overweight increases the pressure on the heel bone only exacerbating any problems you may be having with your feet and ankles.
Complications from diabetes—People who are dealing with complications from diabetes should be more careful with their feet and be on the watch for bone spurs and other foot problems before they develop into infections.
A small heel spur may not cause any serious problems and even go undetected for a long time, but keep in mind that bone spurs can become up to a half-inch long when left untreated.
When conservative treatments are not providing relief, surgery may be necessary to decrease the size of the bony protrusion. At Fit Feet for Life, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies and years of experience to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including heel pain, sports injuries, toe deformities, nail fungus, and plantar warts. Bonnie Sanchez, DPM, Gregory Cook, DPM, and Huy L. Nguyen, DPM provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area at our five offices conveniently located in Sun City Center, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and our two Tampa locations. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.