Heel spurs from jogging

definition

Of the Heel spur is a bony outgrowth on the back of the heel bone. So he will too Calcaneus spur or as Exostosis designated. This new bone formation can either grow in the direction of the sole of the foot, in which case it is a plantar heel spur or in the direction of the Achilles tendon, which is then referred to as the dorsal heel spur.
The heel spur does not always cause pain and is therefore often discovered by chance. Occur in some sufferers however, very severe pain on that especially at burden and the Go can be very uncomfortable and require treatment.

causes

The heel spur is created by a Overuse of the foot. This can lead to minor injuries and tears at the junction between the tendon and the bone. From the small injuries can Inflammatory reactions arise. Cells of the immune system are attracted and promote healing by stimulating remodeling processes. Among other things, this also creates small calcifications, which ultimately become one Calcaneus spur grow up.
There are different Risk factors as the Disposition or being overweight, which can lead to heel spurs. For work-related reasons long standing or constant walking can overload the heel. Misalignments of the foot such as the flat, flat foot or flat foot also favor injuries to the tendons due to unfavorable bone management. Another cause can be too inadequate warm-up exercises before physical activity like jogging. The ligaments and tendons of the foot are then suddenly and without pre-stretching strongly tense and exposed to great force. This can create the small cracks that contribute to the development of a heel spur. If a heel spur already exists, it will be aggravated by every additional load. In order not to worsen the symptoms, treatment should therefore be initiated.

Jogging as a risk factor

Jogging regularly is healthy, but also puts an enormous strain on the foot. With every step, the respective foot is exposed to an impact that is also transmitted to the surrounding ligaments and tendons. Anyone who practices this sport regularly should pay attention to the right footwear and avoid excessive stress. Proper warm-up exercises should therefore be performed before running. They prepare the muscles, tendons and ligaments for the upcoming stress. So can minor injuries and Micro cracks can be avoided and ultimately prevent the development of a heel spur. Because the stress on the foot when jogging in particular causes small injuries over and over again, which contribute to the fact that over time an increasingly larger calcaneus spur can develop

This can eventually be so advanced that it causes unpleasant pain, especially in the area of ​​the plantar fascia (lower heel spur) or the Achilles tendon (rear heel spur).
This poses an enormous problem for the passionate jogger, because under these conditions jogging may no longer be possible. Heel pain can be the first sign of overuse. Therefore you should refrain from sport in good time and should be clarified by the doctor.

Appointment with an expert in calcaneal spur?

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Who am I?
My name is dr. Nicolas Gumpert. I am a specialist in orthopedics and the founder of .
Various television programs and print media report regularly about my work. On HR television you can see me every 6 weeks live on "Hallo Hessen".
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Athletes (joggers) are particularly often affected by the disease of the heel spur. In many cases, the cause of the inflammation of the heel spur cannot be identified at first. Therefore, the treatment requires a lot of experience. I focus on the heel spur.
The aim of every treatment is treatment without surgery with a complete recovery of performance.

Which therapy achieves the best results in the long term can only be determined after looking at all of the information (Examination, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, etc.) be assessed.

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• Lumedis - your orthopedic surgeon
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  60311 Frankfurt am Main

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Further information about myself can be found at Dr. Nicolas Gumpert

Jogging with heel spurs

Affected with a heel spur can jog go anyway will thereby aggravating the calcaneus spur and can ultimately lead to pleasant complaints, which then become a Treatment and possibly also an operative removal make it inevitable. Joggers with heel spurs should therefore take a few measures into account so that jogging with an existing heel spur remains symptom-free for as long as possible.

In addition, the right sports shoes provide the necessary support to protect tendons and ligaments from injuries. Special insoles can also be placed in the running shoes. They also cushion the shoe and absorb the bumps while running. At a Heel spur pointing towards the sole of the foot grows, an insert with a hole-like recess can be used. Furthermore, gel-filled insoles are very good to protect the foot from overload and to relieve the sensitive or already damaged tendon attachments. At a posterior heel spur, which grows in the direction of the Achilles' vision, heel cushions can redistribute the load and also prevent new complaints.

If you go jogging despite heel spurs, you should strike a good balance between exercise and rest. One to the foot Allow a break, him elevate and cool, can delay the progression of a growing heel spur. If you are in pain, you should definitely not use it. If the pain becomes more frequent and worse, it makes sense to consult a doctor and get advice on further treatment.

Cold therapy

Means Ice packs, Cooler spray or Cryopacks the painful areas on the foot can also be treated. Also cooling and analgesic ointments can be applied to the heel spur and help alleviate the symptoms. Cold can also slow down or even stop inflammatory processes. After the cold treatment, the Blood circulation stimulated. This promotes the removal of inflammatory cells and thus promotes the healing process.

Injection therapy

When treating a heel spur, infiltration of the affected area with a local anesthetic or with cortisone may also be considered. Especially for very active athletes this one offers short-term and quick recovery the complaints to stay active in sports. The local anesthetic relieves the pain and prevents the pain from being transmitted via the nerve endings there. Cortisone is an endogenous substance that is particularly useful for treating inflammation. It inhibits inflammatory processes and at the same time prevents them from spreading to neighboring healthy tissue.

Treadmill analysis

If you have caused a heel spur by jogging, without changing the causal factors, you will suffer a heel spur from jogging again as soon as the disease has healed because the cause has not been eliminated.
Therefore, an optimal setting of running shoes and running technique, as well as eliminating all risk factors such as sagging knees, flat feet, must be made.
Such settings are made via a Treadmill analysis.

Course of the disease and prognosis

Once a heel spur has formed, it no longer recedes spontaneously on its own. Many people do not even notice that they have new bone formation in the heel area because of the Calcaneus spur doesn't always cause symptoms. When measures such as pain reliever drugs, Cryotherapy, Shoe insoles and stretching shows no improvement, surgery will eventually be necessary. The heel spur is removed and the patient is symptom-free again a short time after the operation. For people who are very active in sports, such an operation is much more likely to be carried out because the constant stress on the heel, as is the case with jogging, accelerates the inflammation and symptoms occur much earlier. So that you can continue your sporting activities painlessly, it would make sense to remove the new bone formation as early as possible so that the tendons on the foot are not damaged further.