What is a heel spur and ways to eliminate the problem?

Answers:
A heel spur is a hard bony shelf as wide as the width of the heelbone caused by repeated pulling away of periosteum from the heelbone (calcaneous). The repeated stress or injury causes inflammation and calcification of tendons and ligaments in the foot.

The first step in the treatment of a heel spur is with short-term rest and controlling the inflammation. Here are the steps patients should take in order to cure their plantar fasciitis and heel spurs:
Rest
Avoiding the precipitating activity; for example, take a few day off jogging or prolonged standing/walking. Just resting usually helps to eliminate the most severe pain, and will allow the inflammation to begin to cool down.

Apply Ice Packs
Icing will help to diminish some of the symptoms and control the heel pain.Icing is especially helpful after an acute exacerbation of symptoms.

Exercises and Stretches
Exercises and stretches are designed to relax the tissues that surround the heel bone. Some simple exercises, performed in the morning and evening, often help patients feel better quickly.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications help to both control pain and decrease inflammation. Over-the-counter medications are usually sufficient, but prescription options are also available.

Shoe Inserts
Shoe inserts are often the key to successful treatment of plantar fasciitis. The shoe inserts often permit patients to continue their routine activities without pain.

Night Splints
Night splints are worn to keep the heel stretched out when you sleep. By doing so, the arch of the foot does not become contracted at night, and is hopefully not as painful in the morning.
These modalities alone will cure the plantar fasciitis pain in most patients. Be forewarned that the symptoms will not resolve quickly. Most patients find relief within about three months, and over 90% within one year.
If the pain does not resolve, an injection of cortisone can decrease the inflammation of plantar fasciitis. However, many physicians do not like to inject cortisone because there are potentially serious problems with cortisone injections in the heel area. The two problems that cause concern are fat pad atrophy and plantar fascial rupture. Both of these problems occur in a very small percentage of patients, but they can cause a worsening of heel pain symptoms.

A new treatment for heel spurs chronic plantar fasciitis is being investigated. This treatment, called extracorporeal shock wave therapy, or ESWT, uses energy pulses to induce microtrauma to the tissue around the heel spur. This microtrauma is thought to induce a tissue repair process by the body. ESWT is recommended in patients who have failed the previously mentioned treatments, and are considering surgical options. For more information on shock wave therapy treatment:

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy
After successful treatment, how can I prevent heel spur pain from coming back?
To prevent the recurrence of heel spur symptoms after treatment, proper fitting footwear is essential. Many people use shoe inserts to relieve pressure over the tender area. Custom orthotics can also be made if there appears to be a problem with the mechanical structure of the foot. It is also important to continue the stretching and exercises. These simple exercises will help maintain the flexibility of the foot and prevent the plantar fasciitis pain from returning.
What if the symptoms of the heel spur do not resolve?
In a small number of cases (usually less than 5%), patients may not experience relief after trying the recommendations listed above. It is important that conservative treatments (such as those listed above) be performed for AT LEAST a year before considering surgery. Time is very important in curing the pain from heel spurs, and insufficient treatment before surgery may subject you to potential complications of the procedure. If these treatments fail, your doctor may consider an operation to loosen the plantar fascia, called a plantar fascia release. For more information about plantar fascia release:

Plantar Fascia Release
Because the diagnosis of heel spurs can be confused with tarsal tunnel syndrome (as described earlier), most surgeons advocate performing a tarsal tunnel release (or at least a partial tarsal tunnel release) along with the plantar fascia release. This surgery is about 80% successful in relieving pain in the small group of patients who do not improve with conservative treatments.

What is a heel spur?
Patients and doctors often confuse the terms heel spur and plantar fasciitis. While these two diagnoses are somewhat related, they are certainly not the same thing. Plantar fasciitis refers to the inflammation of the plantar fascia--the tissue that forms the arch of the foot. A heel spur is a hook of bone that can form on the foot bone (calcaneus) and is associated with plantar fasciitis.
About 70% of patients with plantar fasciitis have a heel spur that can be seen on X-Ray. However, many patients without symptoms of pain can have a heel spur. The exact relation ship between plantar fasciitis and heel spurs is not known for sure.

I have found that spending time on an exercise bicycle where I use the toes and balls of my feet on the pedals helps to loosen up my feet in a way that helps get rid of the symptoms.