If you are an avid runner, you may be concerned when things don’t feel as strong and smooth as they used to. Unusual pains and difficulty maintaining your pace may leave you feeling discouraged, but fortunately, there is often a common cause and a practical solution. If your time is not what it used to be and you are experiencing pain in your foot, heel, or calves, you may be suffering from heel spurs.

Heel spurs develop over time, leading you to believe your aches and pains are not related to a type of injury. They can be isolated or be caused due to another medical condition, such as arthritis. Many people do not seek treatment or even look for solutions to the problem until their heel spurs become truly painful. Pain levels can range from very mild to fairly severe, though they are usually isolated to the area where your spur has grown. This means it may be painful for you to step or push off from a certain foot.

Heel spurs protrude from your heel bone, growing in length of up to half an inch on either the back or bottom of your heel. These calcium deposits are often painless, but they may develop into pain-inducing nuisances. While the spur itself may be painless, inflammation can occur along the bottom of your foot and into your heel.  When this happens, it is difficult to deny the tenderness you are experiencing.

Fortunately, if you believe you may have a heel spur, there are many treatment options available to you. Contact us at Sprains & Strains for more information on heel spur causes, diagnoses, and treatments.