I have also suffered from heel spurs and my solution to the pain and final cure was to wear rocker soled shoes! I found the shoes were such a relief eventually I could wear my regular shoes again!
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How do you tape your feet to help heel spur pain?
By Joe H.
You don't tape them. Your best bet is to research "plantar fasciitis exercises" online to get a few ideas of what to do for relief. Also an ice pack at bedtime will feel good. Heel spur comes from a tendon shortening; if you stretch the tendon daily, over time it will be long enough for the pain to be mostly non existent. The exercises are easy and can be done anywhere. Sometimes an arch insert helps too, especially if your shoes don't have a lot of support.
If the exercises don't help you can see a podiatrist for cortisone injections, but they don't last and are painful so use it as a last resort. I suffer from heel spurs so my advice comes from experience with the condition. I had them so bad in both heels at the same time I could barely walk each morning; now except for an occasional flare (every few years or so), I don't have the pain any more. Good luck!
I have never wrapped my foot for a heel spur. Go to a department store or pharmacy and get a heel cushion that says it's for plantar fascia. Insert it into your shoes and wear shoes as much as possible. It will take awhile, but you will find relief.
I love to go for walks. However, I have developed painful heel spurs. They become very painful if I walk too much. I am desperate to lose weight. I do not have access to a pool, nor the money to join a gym. What can I do besides riding a bike? I want to walk, it is so freeing, how can I do it without pain?
By wacky camper from Westland
There is already lots of information in the links provided. I wear inserts in all my shoes and am completely without pain. I can even walk around barefoot.
I did stretching exercises and it worked wonders. I can walk now with no pain at all.
I would go to a podiatrist.
A chiropractor took care of my plantar fascitis in 2 visits. That was after I had tried exercises, stretching, pads in my shoes, etc. It was wonderful.
I have them too, left heal. Get you a pair of crocks. I got mine at the $store, 5 bucks. No more pain, 2 years now.
Go to your local library and get the book, PAIN FREE. It's an excellent resource. I too had painful heel spurs and went to the foot doctor, said only shots would help, but I didn't want that!
Yes, Crocs work great. They helped my husband's heel pain so he is now pain free. I have a friend that bought the knock-off Crocs and said they didn't help her, only the real Crocs did. My other idea is to go see an acupuncturist. The can "zap" the spur with an acupuncture needle hooked up to a little bit of electricity (like a tens unit). It dissolves the spur immediately.
Go to a podiatrist and see if they can make for you custom made insoles just for your feet and shoes. It's going to cost but you'd rather pay a little to get a lifetime of comfort.
I have a heel spur that is giving me a lot of grief in my left foot. I've read to encase the foot in apple cider vinegar and plastic wrap overnight, it will go away. I've tried using a bread bag, but every time I need to get up during the night, it's noisy and wakes my dh. It is also very uncomfortable. Any suggestions?
I had the same problem a few years ago. The foot doctor sold me Spenco orthotic arch supports --about $20) -- and gave me exercises to do. The best exercise was one in which I stood at the edge of a step and hung both heels down over the edge of the step. Hold it for about 1 minute, and you will actually feel the muscles in your calves relax.
I also had to have two cortisone shots, which are painful, but the whole treatment program worked! I still wear the over-the-counter arch supports, and when I feel the tiniest start of the problem again, I start doing the step exercise.
This is definitely worth seeing a foot doctor. The pain will inhibit your life, your job, everything. Start with the arch supports and exercise if you can't afford anything else.
Good luck!
I also had a similar problem a few years back. The heel spur is not going to go away, but the inflammation causing the pain can be helped. My doctor told me to sit on the side of the bed when getting up in the morning and flex my foot up & down a few times before standing up. I also did this after sitting in a chair for a while. This stretches the muscles in the foot so they don't cause irritation. I also bought a Dr. Scholl's heel pad for a few dollars. I was told that raising the heel a bit takes the pressure off the heel and puts it on the rest of the foot. It didn't take long before I got relief from pain.
Depending on the size and location of the spur, there often isn't much that can be done short of surgery. A lot of doctors will often give their patients a heel cushion that has the inside (where the spur is) cut out. The rim cushions each step, while the opening leaves room for the spur, not allowing it to be thrust on the shoe sole, which is what causes the pain. You can probably try to make one yourself out of foam or a store-bought inner support. Hopefully, something this simple and cheap will work for you.
I have heel spurs and I know that they are so painful. The doctor showed me a few stretches that help quite a bit. But, I had also heard from a friend of my mom that citus aggravates heel spurs. So I quit drinking orange juice( which I love ) and the difference is night and day. Also, try the different stretches. Good Luck!
Having been married to a podiatrist many years ago, I was quite aware of what bone spurs were and what worked to bring relief and what didn't work. A heel spur is caused by a chronic irritation of the tendon that is attached at the bottom of the heel which then eventually becomes calcified - hence the reference to a bone spur. As this irritation continues, the area becomes more and more painful.
The best long-lasting relief is to find something that ameliorates the constant irritation, and that most likely would be a well-fitting support that fits inside the shoe and which stabilizes the foot, decreasing the pressure or tension that is caused by walking or standing. I am sure there are drug store remedies that work, but if not, I would surely go to something like a "Good Feet Store" or see a podiatrist. Surgery should be resorted to only after palliative methods for relief have been sought.
My late husband had excellent success with molded appliances which fit into shoes, and only when there was insufficient relief would he do surgery, although he was an excellent surgeon. There is just so much inherently that can get complicated with surgery. At this point, my first approach would be to try the Good Feet Store. If they can't help you, then I would see a podiatrist.
I bought me a magnet bracelet. I have not had any more pain from my heel spurs.
I have plantar fasciitis & have been to the GOODFEET STORE. They have shoe inserts that they tried to sell me. It is called the 3 step. One is an insert (orthopedic) that you wear with sneakers. Another is one you wear with dress shoes. And the 3rd is one that you wear with slippers. The cost $820. I went on line & looked for reviews on GOODFEET STORE. Most were not good reviews.
They do no offer you a money back guarantee if you get no relief with the orthodontics. Instead they give you a credit to use in their store which other than the orthodontics can only be used on sneakers which cost $80. At one pair per year it would take 10 years to use the credit. A bit to much for me to pay. I do have orthodontics that cost me $350. which my insurance does not pay. They do help but every couple of years they have to be replaced with new ones. Good luck.
Here are a couple of remedies that I have tried and they worked. Put a few golf balls in a sock, tie the sock so the golf balls don't fall out and then roll you heel/foot over the golf balls. The other was given to me by a physiotherapist and also a podiatrist. Fill a 500ml plastic bottle with with water and freeze it. Once frozen roll your heel/foot over it. These remedies will take a little while to work but they do help the problem
How do I cure heel spurs or prevent them from hurting so much?
By PR
About 8 years ago I couldn't hardly walk across my yard because my heel spurs hurt so bad. Tried what I thought was everything. Then I met in Walmart a sweet little lady who had just come from her foot doctor. Here is what she told me. l. before you get up in the mornings and at least 5 more times a day point your toes forward then draw them back toward you. You don't hold them or anything just stretch them forward and then as far as you can back. (this stretches the Achilles heel tendon).
The other thing you do is get a pair of shoes the next size up or maybe even l and half size larger., get a piece of carpet pad (you can try a gel sole )and cut it to fit the back half of your shoe. when you put your foot on it you must not hurt, add more pad or cut a hole in the pad where the spur is but don't let it hurt, till the inflammation is out of it. On mine they were so bad that it took 6 months for the pain to go away. After you get rid of the pain, always wear soft shoes or it will come back. I still have the spurs they just don't hurt.
First, avoid, if at all possible an operation (it's hard to come back from that, my doc told me that.) I started switching shoes several times a day and using the ones that made my feet hurt less. I kept a couple of different pairs in the car. I wore one pair when driving, changed when I got to work, kept a pair at my desk and switched out if I felt the need and when going back home I changed again., finally I didn't have to do that much, the spur has worn off and is now gone. I try to be careful because spurs can grow back, took 4-6 weeks before I really started feeling comfortable though.
I feel for you. I had/have heel spurs and PF. Originally in my 20's - got custom orthotics, got better and had been fine for many years. Then I retired last year and started going barefoot or just socks around the house most of the time and it came back with a vengeance! I found everything LeeAnne67 said to work, the anti inflammatory, exercises and frozen water bottle all helped.
Unfortunately I had to get custom orthotics as well and that's when I really turned the corner. Doctor also told me to try New Balance tennis shoes and I went to the store where they were great with helping to fit me with the right shoe (much better than just buying a pair off the shelf). Also they gave me a discount for being the doctor's patient. The Doctor also recommended Merrell shoes when I asked him what else I could wear as I didn't want to always be in the clunky sneakers, especially around the house in the summer. I got a pair of Merrell sandals (Heather style) and almost cried when I tried them on the first time, they were unbelievably comfortable, like having my foot in a cloud. They are not as supportive as the NB sneakers, but ok if you are not on your feet too much and perfect to keep by the bed for those first 10 painful steps when you get up, eliminated that pain for me.
Best of luck to you. I know how frustrating it can be but by doing everything the doctor told me, I am really getting better after 4 weeks. Don't wait too long to go to the doctor if you are really in a lot of pain, expensive but worth it!
I went to a therapist recently for the same thing & the exercises he had me doing helped.
First, rest the ball of your foot on the edge of a step & gently lean forward as if you're trying to walk uphill; this stretches the Achilles tendon; do this ten times, once or twice a day.
Second, resting your hands on something for balance (like the edge of a sink), stand on your tiptoes & hold for 5 seconds, let your heels down & repeat 10 times, once or twice a day; this stretches the Achilles tendon & also the plantar fascia tendons.
Third, if you are not in too much pain to do it, stand on your heels 5 seconds, let your toes down & repeat; same benefits.
Fourth, the toe pointing exercises mentioned by fuzzytufts.
Fifth, if you have a stretchy exercise band or cord & someone to hold the ends or somewhere to attach them, wrap the band around the arch of your foot & from either a lying or sitting position on a bed (or something), pull against the band - if the band is attached to something on your right, pull your foot to the left - try to work all 4 directions, always pulling against the band; you can hold the ends of the band yourself to push your foot forward, similar to just pointing your toe; do this 20-30 times in each direction.
These exercises really helped me, & I am now pain free. I try to do some or all of these every day to keep the pain from coming back. I hope this helps someone; I had to pay the therapist, but I'm spreading this info for free! ;-)
Always wear a shoe with a arch support, even to buying a arch support to put in your house shoes. My doctor told me this when I had heel spurs and it takes a little while to get relief but I haven't had any spurs since stating this. Never walk around barefoot.
Many consumers have found noticeable relief from heel spurs by wearing Birkenstock sandals. This is a page about wearing Birkenstock sandals for heel spurs.
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