Painful heel spurs - Expert advice on health and fitness - Brief Article

Ebony, Sept, 2002

Q I used to be very active athletically and never had any problems with my feet, even though I have flat feet. I began exercising again recently and began experiencing excruciating pain from what I've been told are heel spurs. In laymen's terms, can you help me to understand this problem and what can be done to ease the pain of heel spurs? M.T., Fayetteville, N.C.

A Certain physical activities can aggravate heel spurs, which are growths of extra bone at the heel that may form when the connective tissue extending from the heel bone to the base of the toes pulls excessively on the heel. The spurs are usually painful as they develop, especially when a person is walking or putting extra pressure on the area while exercising. Sometimes a fluid pocket develops beneath the spur and becomes inflamed.

If you continue to work out, you should engage in low-impact activities (swimming, stair machine, bicycle) so that you don't aggravate your heel.

Treatment of heel spurs is aimed at alleviating the pain with medication, and most spurs can be treated successfully without surgery.