There is a bone protruding from the heel

In our lives, some people experience pain in their heels, and when observing, they feel something like a bone, which is a bone spur. Heel spurs are heel bone hyperplasia. The symptoms are heel tenderness, fear of exerting force on the heel when walking, and a feeling of stone and needles. After the activity started, the symptoms were relieved. So let’s understand what’s going on with the bone in the heel!

1. Clinical manifestations

1. When you push your heel downward, you feel a pricking sensation inside, and numbness when you touch it with your hand;

2. The pain will be aggravated after long-distance walking causes fatigue. For example, if you accidentally step on bricks or tiles while walking or put too much force on the ground when going down stairs, it will cause severe pain.

3. The outer skin of the heel is red and swollen, and it feels hot when touched;

4. There is a tender spot in the center of the heel, which is very painful when pressed with fingers;

5. In severe cases, the patient cannot walk on the ground;

6. Tenderness at the heel and pain at the sole of the foot, which is worse in the morning and less severe in the afternoon. The first step when getting up from the bed is extremely painful, sometimes mild and sometimes severe. I dare not use my heel when walking, and there is a feeling of stone and needles. The symptoms are relieved after moving around.

2. Inspection

Physical examination and X-ray examination.

3. Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on history, clinical findings, and examination.

4. Differential Diagnosis

Heel spurs should be differentiated from heel pain:

Heel pain, also known as heel pain, is pain on one or both sides of the heel that is not red or swollen and makes walking difficult. A disease caused by lesions in the bones, joints, bursae, fascia, etc. of the heel. Common plantar fasciitis often occurs in people who stand or walk for long periods of time. It is caused by long-term, chronic minor injuries and is manifested by the rupture and repair process of the plantar fascia fibers, bone hyperplasia and tenderness at the fascia attachment on the inner side of the calcaneus, and lateral X-rays showing calcaneal spurs. However, bone spurs do not necessarily cause heel pain, and plantar fasciitis does not necessarily cause bone spurs.

5. Treatment

Bone spurs are bone hyperplasia. There is currently no effective treatment for bone hyperplasia in clinical practice. Conservative treatment is generally the main approach, with oral and topical medications and physical therapy to control the progression of the disease. If it is confirmed to be a bone spur, take ibuprofen, indomethacin, and amoxicillin orally for temporary symptomatic treatment, and perform local blockade treatment if necessary. If the hyperplasia seriously affects the patient's life and conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment is required. However, the long-term effects of surgery are poor.

6. Prevention

1. Choose soft-soled shoes

Choosing shoes with rubber soles is better for your feet. Avoid walking on hard surfaces such as concrete, marble, or tile. Add pads to your heels to reduce pain.

2. Hot compress

If the pain is severe, you can use a flaxseed pack to apply heat.

3. Foot bath

Soaking your feet in hot and cold water alternately can help relieve symptoms, and massaging the soles of your feet with ice can also help.