A heel spur, also known as the calcaneum, is a collection of microscopic, irregularly shaped growths on the bone of the heel that develops on the underside of the foot. A heel spur is generated by the displacement of calcium. Sometimes heel spurs hurt, feeling like a knife is digging into the heel. Other times, a heel spur passes undetected and is only discovered by an X-ray.

Due to the lack of awareness regarding heel spur symptoms, plantar fasciitis is frequently misdiagnosed as heel spurs. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of the thick connective tissue band that runs from the heel bone to the heads of the metatarsal bones, which are five long bones in the foot that are situated between the heel and the toes. A heel spur is simply the presence of an extra protrusion on the bony surface of the heel.

The arch on the bottom of your foot is supported by a tie made of this connective tissue. Back of the heel pain results from strain on the plantar fascia, which causes inflammation, edema, and eventually a weakness of the arch. On the other hand, a heel spur can only be seen on an X-ray and becomes uncomfortable when the tissues around it become inflamed.

Although they can affect people of any age, heel spurs are most frequently encountered in middle-aged men and women. Many people have heel spurs without even realizing it; an X-ray of a patient with plantar fasciitis who does experience pain reveals that roughly 70% of them also have heel spurs.

What Leads to Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs?

When the heel is subjected to regular wear and tear, the process of bone production begins; this is true among most athletes, runners, or even persons who start jogging or walking every day after years of inactivity. The strong connective tissue known as the plantar fascia maintains the foot's arch; when the foot's muscles and ligaments are strained, the plantar fascia tears, exposing the membrane that protects the heel bone.

Heel spurs and plantar fasciitis can have various causes, such as:

Abnormal or asymmetrical gait, which puts too much strain on the ligaments, nerves, and heel bone, especially on hard surfaces, running, jogging, or leaping, worn-out footwear, especially footwear without proper arch support

Weight gain and obesity

Heel Spur Symptoms:

Heel spurs typically don't cause any discomfort or show any other symptoms. This is due to the myth that heel spurs are sharp or pointed bits of bone. Heel spurs are calcium deposits on the bone that were deposited there by the body's natural bone-forming processes; they do not tear tissue every time you walk. This indicates that, like all other bones, they are smooth and flat.

Since there is existing tissue at the location of a heel spur, it is possible for that tissue to become inflamed, which can cause a variety of symptoms, including persistent heel discomfort that worsens with jogging or walking.

The growth of new fibrous tissue around the bone spur, which serves as a cushion over the area of stress, is another factor contributing to heel spur discomfort. The callus that develops as this tissue expands obstructs the thick network of tendons, nerves, ligaments, and supporting tissue by occupying even more space than the heel spur. Due to calcium or tissue building, these crucial foot structures are constrained in space, which results in swelling and redness of the foot as well as severe, excruciating pain that gets worse with activity.

RESOURCES:

https://www.nih.gov/

https://www.nature.com/nrneurol/

Heel Spur

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