Preventing Heel Spurs

Did you know that 10% of Americans will develop heel spurs in their lifetime? This makes heel spurs one of the most common foot conditions you can develop. This is especially true if you’re an avid runner or jogger. Heel spurs might not always cause pain, but for others, it can be debilitating.

The bony growths that show up on the bottom of your heel bone can lead to not only pain, but swelling and inflammation. While treating this condition isn’t complicated, we believe that the best defense against foot trouble is prevention. Here are some of our top tips on how to avoid frustrating heel spurs!

Where It Comes From

Before we get into tips, we want to give you a little bit of a background on where heel spurs come from. Those who lead a more active lifestyle are more likely to develop this, but it won’t show up one day after a gentle workout. This is a wear-and-tear condition. Heel spurs commonly affect runners, professional athletes, and those who stand for long hours every day.

Our Tips

With a little extra care and consideration, you can avoid heel spurs! You can do so by…

• Choosing dirt or grass trails to run on, instead of hard surfaces

• Avoiding athletic classes done on cement or hardwood floors

• Wearing shoes with great arch support

• Checking the size of your feet every time you buy a new pair of shoes, or at least once a year

• Eating a balanced diet, since extra weight can put more pressure on your feet

• Resting your feet whenever they feel sore or painful

• Using custom orthotics

Here at PodiatryCare, PC, and the Heel Pain Center, we specialize in custom orthotics, along with various other foot and ankle ailments. Dr. Charlotte George, Dr. Matthew Tschudy, Dr. Rebecca Wiesner, Dr. Kristen Winters, Dr. Laura Vander Poel, and the rest of our team are dedicated to helping our Hartford County patients. To schedule an appointment at our Enfield location, call (860) 741-3041; for an appointment at our South Windsor location, call (860) 644-6525.