Heel Spur

Great photos!   I remember mine as much worse, but that is probably just because it was "mine".

I had it for years and tried all the therapies at the time (1993 or so) - orthotics, excersizes, taping, massage.....  Finally, I ]had a surgery that did not involve "shaving it down" but rather putting a nick in the plantar fascia itself, thus releaving the tension and the body absorbed the "spur" material.  Think of the fascia as a wide rubber band stretched too tight - put a nick in it the side and it relaxes.  I walked out of the hospital in a walking case in way less pain than I walked in.

My feet got longer, I bought new shoes, I got on with life.   I use "superfeet" inserts in most shoes now.  My doc was in the Denver area and I would recommend him to anyone who asks

yep, I've had a heal spur for years.  Back in 2003 or 2004 I did start seeing a podiotrist to try to remedy the problem.  The X-ray looked like I had a hook on the heel of my left foot.  Anyway, I've done many of the same things as others, forzen water bottle, stretching, strausburg sock, additionally I was fitted for orthotics.  It eventually went away (the pain, not the spur).  Unfortunately, it now has come back to visit me.  Right now I'm treating it on my own similar to what I did a few years back.  I haven't run in about 10-days but I'm going to start again this weekend.  Something that my podiotrst recommend I do before running was taping the bottom of my foot.  You don't want the tape to go up the ankle as that can cause another set of problems...just the length of the bottom of the foot.  This takes much of the stress away from the fascia...which is what is causing the pain.  I believe heelspurs.com has a pretty good illustration on taping for PF.

I seriously doubt this...

The spur is not what is causing the pain.  Irritation of the plantar fascia is what causes the pain.  If I xrayed 1000 people over 40 I would probably find 1000 heel spurs.  The plantar fascia originates there and pulls on the calcaneous every step of our lives.  Forget about the spur. Stretch ice sleep in a splint or stroudsburg sock, strech some more, try a heel cup stretch some more take some NSAIDs stretch some more.  Soemtimes we inject them, usually with a combination of a local anesthetic and a steorid.  The steroid is NOT A TEMPORARY FIX it is to TREAT the problem. A steroid ia a strong anti-inflammaory.  The princple of it is to put themedicine right where the problem is. The vast majority of people get better without surgery.  I see now this is an old post but the data is the same.  I've posted similar stuff RE PF about a dozen times.