Description

The painful heel is a relatively common foot problem, but calcaneal spurs are not considered as a primary cause of heel pain. A calcaneal spur is caused by long-term stress on the plantar fascia and foot muscles and may develop as a reaction to plantar fasciitis.

The pain, mostly localised in the area of the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity, is caused by pressure in the region of the plantar aponeurosis attachment to the calcaneal bone. The condition may exist without producing symptoms, or it may become very painful, even disabling.

Most heel pain patients are middle-aged adults. Obesity may be considered a risk factor. Not all heel spurs cause symptoms and are often painless, but when they do cause symptoms people often experience more pain during weight-bearing activities, in the morning or after a period of rest. The pain, however, is not as a result of mechanical pressure on the spur, but from the inflammatory response.