What to do for heel spurs

[MELSMICE]

My DH has developed heel spurs. They are especially painful in the morning after he wakes up & tries to walk. Any suggestions on how to deal with them?

 

[golfgal]

You can have them surgically removed, which helps. For non surgical treatment you can get heal cups for his shoes, you can get them at Walmart, etc. Then, get some foam that is about 1/4-1/2 inch thick at a craft store, soft foam not the hard stuff, and make a donut shaped pad, cutting out the middle the will go over the spur. That will take the pressure off the heal spur when he has shoes on. A heal spur is a calcification on the bone, often causes by some kind of injury, like a part of the tendon pulling away from the bone and the bone regenerating at that spot. The heal cup will take the strain off the tendons in the legs to reduce the pulling. It can take weeks to see relief. You might also want to see a physical therapist or athletic trainer. They can do some other types of treatments, like ultrasound, to break up the calcification.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

ICE them!!!! I had heel spurs and it really hurts! A therapist told me to freeze a bottle of water and then roll your foot over it. He may have to get inserts that support the arch. I had to go to a podiatrist and he measured me for inserts and it worked wonders! Good luck, but ice is what you need!

 

[mickeyboat]

A girl in my office has them and they are VERY painful for her. She can't even stand to make copies. She tried many pain relievers and heat/ice treatments. Finally she got an appointment with a podiatrist (took a LONG time) who recommended specific exercises and made special orthotics to wear in her shoes.

Hope your DH feels better soon.

Denae

 

[FionaLovesShrek]

I had them a few years ago. Don't ever want them again! I was told by a podiatrist to get New Balance 608 shoes. They are what was recommended at the time for nurses who were on their feet all day. In a few months, the spurs were gone. I couldn't find the exact type of shoe the last time I purchased, I had to get some 606's, but I haven't had a problem since.

 

[emnrich]

Heel spur sufferer here, too. My doc told me to do these things:

1. Freeze a two liter soft drink bottle full of water. Use it to ice the area.
2. Get inserts. He said to try the Walmart ones and if they didn't work, he'd get me to podiatrist for orthonics, but the Dr. Scholl's one have worked.
3. Take a towel or long strip of fabric and hold one end in each hand. Put the middle under the ball of your foot and pull towards you to stretch out the tendon. I did three times a day for a couple of weeks.
4. Buy good shoes. Cheap shoes were the start of my problem. Not worth the savings.

It took me about 2 weeks to get rid of the pain. It is debilitating, especially in the morning. You just can't walk. I hope he gets to feeling better soon! Disney would be an awful place to have spurs acting up.