City Footcare NYC

Podiatric Medicine & Surgery

We treat all problems of the foot and ankle.

Heel Spurs

Definition:

The heel bone is the largest bone in the foot and absorbs the most amount of shock and pressure.

A heel spur develops as an abnormal growth of the heel bone.

Heel spur is increased bone growth that protrudes beyond the normal anatomy of the bone.

Heel spurs can cause extreme pain in the rearfoot, especially while standing or walking.

Cause:

 

Excessive bone growth occurs when the plantar fascia pulls away from the heel area, causing an injury to the bone at the insertion. When the body heals this injury, there is increased bone growth resulting in a bony protrusion, or heel spur that develops.

This stretching and tearing of the plantar fascia is usually the result of over-pronation (flat feet). People with unusually high arches (pes cavus) can also develop heel spurs.

The plantar fascia is a broad band of fibrous tissue located along the bottom surface of the foot that runs from the heel to the forefoot.

Women have a significantly higher incidence of heel spurs due to the types of footwear often worn on a regular basis.