Heel pain is an annoying pain on the bottom of the foot. Heel spurs are often the cause of this pain. More than 10% of people have experienced heel pain at some point in their lives. This article will explain the causes, symptoms and possible treatments of heel spurs. The emphasis will be on sports.

About heel spurs

Heel spur is another name for a calcification of the bottom of the heel. The pain is particularly noticeable in the tendon that connects the heel of the foot to the front of the foot. It is important to realize that heel calcification does not always lead to pain. 30% of people have heel spurs, but do not experience the pain. The reverse is also possible: there are also people who have pain at the site of the above-mentioned tendon, but who do not have a heel spur. They usually have tendinitis . In general, people who suffer from the tendon under the foot have both plantar fasciitis and heel spurs, with the former causing the pain. These two terms are often used interchangeably.

Heel spur and sports

Heel spur is basically an overuse injury. It mainly occurs in athletes. There is a high risk of heel spurs, especially in periods when athletes suddenly put a lot of strain on their feet. The chance of heel spurs is smaller if athletes constantly exert a fairly light load on the foot.

Causes of heel spurs

Overload of the heel occurs due to an overdose of tension on the tendon under the foot. During this tension, the attachment of the tendon pulls too hard on the heel. The attachment of the tendon to the heel is called the tendon plate. This tendon plate is bent slightly due to load, causing an unbalanced load on the tendon.A very important – previously mentioned – direct cause of heel spurs is overload due to sports. But walking on a slope, bad shoes and certain properties of the foot – such as a short calf muscle and flat/hollow feet – are also causes of a heel spur. Indirect causes of heel spurs are obesity and age.

Symptoms of heel spurs

The most common complaint with heel spurs is pain under the heel. Athletes can suffer during exercise, but the pain mainly occurs after exercise. During exercise, the nerves adapt and relieve pain, which they experience disadvantages after exercise. However, if the heel spur becomes severe, there is little difference between the pain during exercise and at rest. Sometimes the pain during exercise is even greater.The pain of heel spurs can also be experienced while driving and tensing the heel.

Treatment of heel spurs

Heel spur is a very annoying injury, and it varies greatly from person to person when the injury is resolved. There are therefore many treatment methods for heel spurs. These treatments may differ depending on the cause. If excess weight is the cause of the heel spur, then losing weight is an excellent treatment method. However, to tackle the heel spur more directly, stretching exercises and cooling with ice are recommended. These exercises will only be very successful for incipient heel spurs. Stretching exercises remove the imbalance of pressure on the tendon, reducing the load on the tendon plate. For the rest of the day, you can wear orthotics that reduce the pressure on the tendon and take painkillers to suppress the remaining pain.With more severe forms of heel spurs, massage and acupuncture can sometimes help, although the results vary greatly. Surgical intervention is rarely done because of the complications that can arise. My advice is to listen carefully to your body. Overload can only go away if you shift the load – by doing stretching exercises – and by taking a lot of rest. By cooling the heel with ice after every effort and taking painkillers, the heel spur will disappear in most cases. For other cases, a visit to the doctor is highly recommended.