Heel spurs?

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  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    I also have been plagued with heel spurs and PF. I had them in my right foot in 2010, when I went through PT, night splints, etc., etc., and still had to have the surgery. I am now dealing with it in my left foot, but this time it is more concentrated in the heel. Very painful. I'm currently taking PT and go back to the doc on Aug. 28th. We'll see from there. After PT it feels fine for a while then the pain comes back again. I try to do the exercises but sometimes it's just not possible at work. I hope I don't have to have surgery again but as I told the doctor, "nothing worked the first time and I have my doubts it will work now." I even had the shots and it did nothing. Hope yours doesn't come to that and PT will be enough for you, once you even get into the doc that is.

    That sounds awful. Were your heel spurs on your sole, or the rear of your foot?
    BTW, I even had a spur on my left wrist, so you can get them anywhere. I had that removed just this past January.
    That'll teach you not to run on your hands, eh?
  • KristenCook2
    KristenCook2 Posts: 57 Member
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    I have the same thing going on! Thanks for all the great info!
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    bump for the afternoon session...
  • cookn_mama
    cookn_mama Posts: 228 Member
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    I too have heel spurs just like that on both feet. Have not bothered me. I don't think that doctors like to remove them anymore tho your doctor would be the expert on that. I also have plantar factitis and that hurts all the time. Ice, and stretching the tendons, and rest is the best for those.
    Good luck.
    Maybe get a second opinion from another doc.
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
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    You know I didn't even look at where your spur was, just saw the location of the scar tissue looking stuff, and read your description. I still think you may have minor plantar fasciitis from the location of the front scar tissue (which is in the right place); but after reading some of the other comments and looking closer, I guess your Achilles tendon is doing the same thing on the back of your heel. Hence the rearward bone spur. Ouch dude... I don't think I want your foot.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    Hey! That is blatant foot-ism and I resent it. Although to be honest, at this point *I* don't want my foot either.

    OTOH it's good that I'm going through this now - who knows when I would have found it out otherwise.
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
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    My exrays looked a lot like yours. The pain increased steadily for about a year. I tried very expensive inserts my podiatrist custom made, stretching as the PT recommended, higher heels, an inexpensive band that fit over my arch and a steroid shot.

    The stretching made the pain worse. The steroid shot was a miracle for 3 months. The pain came screaming back immediately after the shot wore off because I'd been using (abusing) my foot that whole time and aggravating the injury there.

    In my case, the pain DID go away. It took about 15-18 months. I think the arch bands and higher heels did the most to help my situation.

    Good luck. I hope you get relief soon!
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    AHA!

    THIS!

    http://www.footankleinstitute.com/retrocalcaneal-exostosis-1/

    ME!

    OUCH!

    I now have a name for my demon!
  • Kopsbaby
    Kopsbaby Posts: 358 Member
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    The spur on my right foot was right in the middle of the heel and on the back of it. The one I have now on my left heel is on the bottom, but more to the outside of the heel.

    Ha, ha. The doc said about the one I had removed from my wrist that I probably injured it by hitting something with my wrist and it then grew the spur.
  • pennyknipprath
    pennyknipprath Posts: 28 Member
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    Hi

    You really need to see that specialist. I would stop all weight bearing exercise. Wear the boot when weight bearing, ice it (Freeze a water bottle) it will help with inflamation as well as advil. Buy good quality walking shoes like Asics gels there are website for shoes for people with heel spurs. Always have good shoes even after it heels.

    I have had heel spurs and with ice, foot stretches (you can find on internet) and better shoes it did improve some, but it finally took a shot or cortizone into my heel the solve it.

    20 years later I developed heel pain again and assumed it was heel spurs. I treated it the same way and it didn't get any better. I went to specialist and it turned out I had stress fractures in both heels. I was calcium deficant he told me to take Citracel (calcium high dose) with vitamine D basically for the rest of my life. I wore pressure boots on both feet for 3 months. Finally my pain is minimal and I'm back to my exercise.

    The long and short of it is with feet it can be very difficult to diagnose. The specialist will be the answer and direct you tot he best care.

    I wish you fast heeling. I know it hurts really bad!

    PS> The thing on the back of you foot doesn't look like a heel spur to me. Those are under in your arch. Bunion maybe, chip or fracture.
  • rprussell2004
    rprussell2004 Posts: 870 Member
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    Hi

    You really need to see that specialist. I would stop all weight bearing exercise. Wear the boot when weight bearing, ice it (Freeze a water bottle) it will help with inflamation as well as advil. Buy good quality walking shoes like Asics gels there are website for shoes for people with heel spurs. Always have good shoes even after it heels.

    I have had heel spurs and with ice, foot stretches (you can find on internet) and better shoes it did improve some, but it finally took a shot or cortizone into my heel the solve it.

    20 years later I developed heel pain again and assumed it was heel spurs. I treated it the same way and it didn't get any better. I went to specialist and it turned out I had stress fractures in both heels. I was calcium deficant he told me to take Citracel (calcium high dose) with vitamine D basically for the rest of my life. I wore pressure boots on both feet for 3 months. Finally my pain is minimal and I'm back to my exercise.

    The long and short of it is with feet it can be very difficult to diagnose. The specialist will be the answer and direct you tot he best care.

    I wish you fast heeling. I know it hurts really bad!

    PS> The thing on the back of you foot doesn't look like a heel spur to me. Those are under in your arch. Bunion maybe, chip or fracture.

    That's good info, thanks!

    Yeah, techinically what I have is a "Retrocalcineal extostosis," which is medical-ese for "extra bone on the back of the heel."

    The pain is all but gone - and it's not an impact-related thing, so far as I know. I'm still booting around from day to day, though, and my left foot/calf is getting really fed up and crampy from not getting used as much as it's used to. Sigh, if it's not one thing it's another, I suppose!
    I wish you fast heeling.

    Ha!

    It was the fast heeling (running, in fact) that brought this to light ;)

    I'm calling the specialist every freaking day hoping for a cancellation. We'll see how it goes...

    Thanks again!
  • Kopsbaby
    Kopsbaby Posts: 358 Member
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    You can actually get a spur anywhere you have bone. I've heard of people that have had them on their spine, shoulder whereever, and you'rs does look like one. It took an MRI to find the one on my wrist but once they found it, there was only one solution, remove it. I had it done on a Wednesday and went back to work the next day. Now the one on my foot that I had removed took a lot longer to heal because they also did the PF band and fixed 2 hammer-toes so I was laid up for almost 2 months. Not looking forward to having it done again but if that's what it's going to take to get rid of the pain so I can walk w/o pain then that's what I'll have done. Exercises have only been a temporary fix then the pain comes back after a few minutes.

    Good luck with yours.
  • mksully76
    mksully76 Posts: 1
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    I got diagnosed with Plantar faciaitis as well as Heel spurs in both of my feet/heels today. My foot doctor HIGHLY recommended I get orthotics ASAP or else it all would just get worse and down the road I would likely need surgery. I am only 23 years old and these are foot problems that usually do not occur this young in life. I am a runner, active and a server at a restaurant. I need my feet to be healthy!!! I agreed to get the orthotics because I believe they will relieve my symptoms and the heel spurs will hopefully subside a little (they never go away once you have them). I also plan on the orthotics getting rid of my PF. Yes, the initial cost of the orthotics is $450, but insurance can cover it most of the time ! so just call your insurance company like I did, and you may be able to get full coverage!! so, in the end i am paying zero dollars for better orthotics rather than paying what you would for less quality at the store. Doctor also gave me a steroid shot and it helped TREMENDOUSLY. My pain went from an agonizing 8 to 1 in just two days. I know it is not a long-term solution, but now that I have had the pain-relieving and inflammation-reducing shot I can work on supporting my feet better with the orthotics, as well as advil, and will hopefully never be in as much pain as I have been. Good luck to everyone!!!!!!

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