It is a bone protrusion formed on the sole of the foot, in the heel part.
Progressive, can become toxic to daily life. Can you imagine a nail being driven into your sole every time you step on it? Like the Chinese Torture, how disturbing is it?
It is a disorder that is more common in women. It is more common after the age of 40. Processes that cause deformation in the foot bones and soft tissues such as rheumatic diseases and obesity are blamed as the cause.
It is a problem of shortening and hardening of the planter fascia, which provides sole flexibility when the foot is pressed on the ground, due to various factors, inflammation where it attaches to the heel and ossification that gives a prickly appearance in the future. Clinically, the leading complaints are the pain in the soles of the feet, which we feel when we first step on the ground in the morning. It may pass in the following hours, it is a recurrent pain when sitting for a long time and getting up again. Measures to be taken at this stage; It is possible to control the event with exercise, foot massage and simple painkillers. Soft-soled shoes should be preferred. Rubber and similar supports can be used on the heel that contacts the ground. If the pain is persistent and interferes with daily life, further treatment is needed.
How do we detect heel spurs?
The patient’s statement, examination and lateral x-ray of the foot provide us with the necessary information.
What should we do if the heel spur pain does not go away?
Surgical interventions have limited success. In the best conditions, there is a 50-60% success rate. In other words, it is a disease that can recur even after surgery.
In cases that do not respond to normal treatment, cortisone + local anesthetic injections provide relief for 6 months to a year. It is possible to relax for a long time with Radiotherapy, which is a method mostly applied in cancer patients, but it is an application whose necessity is discussed. One of the other methods is Shock wave therapy.
LASER and Radiofrequency treatments
We get good results with LASER needles treatment. Do not look at the needle trial, the application is painless. Needle is LASER beams. OZONE injection to be added to LASER treatment causes us to get rid of pain in a shorter time.
We are in favor of a single session RF (radiofrequency) treatment that saves patients from this problem for up to 3 years. This procedure, which is applied to the pain nerves around the heel, which is compressed as a result of both mechanical pressure and inflammation in the heel, is a simple method that does not harm the nerves and only aims to relieve the pain. It is the most current effective treatment method applied in the West.
Have a healthy day
Prof. Dr. Nurettin LÜLECİ
