How to treat heel spurs?

Nowadays, many people often do not pay attention to protecting their joints. The joints are strained for a long time, which causes damage to the joints. In addition, if there are some minor illnesses and disasters, people do not go to the hospital for treatment. Over time, it will lead to joint strain, and the injury will cause ligament relaxation. Gradually, bone spurs will find our bodies. If bone spurs appear in the joints, pain will occur during the bending process. Severe cases will cause joint strain and even bone fractures, which are very harmful. If people have bone spurs on the heels, physical therapy, drug therapy, and surgery can be used to achieve treatment effects. However, surgery is not recommended for the elderly because their bones are stiff and their body's metabolic function is relatively poor. Surgery is risky and is located in the heel, where the joints are very critical.

Bone spurs are a degenerative change in bones;

It is a chronic osteoarthritis in which degeneration of articular cartilage leads to new bone hyperplasia. It is common in middle-aged and elderly people, and bone spurs often occur in weight-bearing joints, such as vertebrae, limb joints, calcaneus and other weight-bearing joints. In primary degenerative osteoarthritis, normal cartilage is composed of chondrocytes and matrix, and the matrix is ​​composed of chondroitin sulfate composed of proteoglycan and collagen fibers embedded therein.

1. Treatment methods

1. Exercise therapy: Lean against the wall with your upper arms stretched forward to the height of your shoulders, press the wall with your palms, and keep the other knee straight while bending one knee and pushing it toward the wall. While bending your knee and slowly leaning forward, try to keep your heel flat on the ground. When you feel the stretch on your Achilles tendon and arch of the foot, maintain this position for 10 seconds, then relax and stand upright. This exercise should be repeated 20 times on each heel.

2. Drug treatment: When the symptoms of heel bone hyperplasia are obvious, drugs are often used as auxiliary treatment to promote symptom relief. Commonly used drugs are generally some anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine is also commonly used, but bone hyperplasia is a chronic disease. Long-term use of drugs may produce certain side effects. Therefore, it is advisable to use it for a short period of time and alternately when the symptoms are severe and seriously affect life and sleep.

3. External treatment: Skin patch belongs to the category of external use in traditional Chinese medicine. It is directly applied externally and contains Chinese herbal ingredients. It does not damage the skin, has no toxic side effects, and nourishes the spleen and stomach. It is currently the first choice for most people. In the treatment of heel pain with traditional Chinese medicine plasters, external application of Ankang ointment is the most common treatment.

4. Surgical treatment: Surgical treatment can also remove heel bone hyperplasia. The amount of bleeding is large, the wound is deep, and it requires a long recovery period. It may bring some complications. There are many blood vessels or nerves near the bone hyperplasia area. Any slight mistake may cause unnecessary trouble. Therefore, surgical treatment needs to be treated in a large hospital.

5. Minimally invasive treatment: Under the guidance of X-ray machines, CT, and advanced electronic and optical equipment, doctors only need to make a small incision less than 1 cm on the heel skin. They can use special instruments to clearly see the bone spur, and can also magnify it for removal. But relapse is possible.

2. Folk remedies for treatment:

1. Chuanqiong Powder

Take 45 grams of Chuanxiong, grind it into fine powder, and pack it into cloth bags made of thin cloth, with 15 grams of powder in each bag. Place the medicine bag in your shoes, directly in contact with the affected area. Use one bag each time, change the medicine once a day, and use three medicine bags alternately. The replaced medicine bags can be reused after drying.

2. Chuanwusan

For external application, take 30 grams of raw Chuanwu (the amount for one heel), grind it into powder and add white wine (grain wine is preferred) to make it into a paste. Wash your feet with warm water before going to bed at night, spread the medicine evenly on the painful area of ​​the heel, wrap it with plastic paper, and avoid strenuous activities during the medication period. Once a day, generally take the medicine continuously 2-3 times. Stop using when the illness is gone, do not use for a long time.

3. Fresh Xanthium

For external application of leaves, take an appropriate amount of fresh Xanthium sibiricum leaves, mash them, and apply them to the affected area with a small piece of plastic film. Change the medicine after it dries. There is no limit to the number of times. If small blisters occur, treat it as a burn and continue applying the medicine after the wound heals.

4. Cactus external application

Take an appropriate amount of cactus, scrape off the burrs on both sides with a knife, then split it into two halves, apply the split side to the painful area of ​​the heel, fix it with adhesive tape, and change to the other half after 12 hours. In winter, you can put the cut side in a hot pot for 3-4 minutes, and then apply it to the affected area after it is heated, usually at night. It is advisable to wear cloth shoes during the treatment and engage in appropriate activities to keep the Qi and blood meridians unobstructed.

5. Prunella Vulgaris fumigation

Take 50 grams of Prunella Vinegar, soak it in 1000 ml of vinegar for 24 hours, then boil it for 15 minutes. Fumigate the affected area for 20 minutes, 1-3 times a day. Each dose can be used for 2 days.