Heel spurs develop when the heel impacts the ground hard due to tight plantar fascia. The fascial system is an exoskeleton that allows us to move. Some of us adapt poorly, resulting in poor flexibility. When this flexibility problem affects the legs, the persistent impact will cause bone growth at the heel. Spurs can also develop on the top of the foot due to mechanical reasons. Understanding why a heel spur developed is vital to finding appropriate solutions other than cushioning the heel, stretching the Achilles, and many other common treatments on Google that may offer temporary relief only, but fail to solve the problem. Removal of a spur can result in a regrowth of the spur if the impact problem continues to exist. Wolf’s law states that bones form because of the forces placed upon them. Plantar fasciitis is caused by tight plantar fascia that becomes acute at its insertion points and is often addressed at the point of impact. The problem is, if you look above the foot, you are going to understand the postural problems causing the heel spur. Cushioning or injecting it does little when you begin to walk on it again. A patient changed from the prescription off-the-shelf foot orthotics our office had given her to a custom one casted by her podiatrist that was ineffective at leveling her hips. The podiatrist had removed a spur on the lateral side of the right foot and excised it again a couple of years later. I urged her to switch back to the off-the-shelf inserts as her custom ones were now making her unlevel causing right knee pain and the physical therapy she was sent for aggravated the right knee. The importance of treating the cause rather than the symptom with heel spurs. Chiropractic sports medicine may be a better approach to fully understanding and treating the underlying condition causing a recurring bone spur in the foot, or any area for that matter. Patients are often surprised at how thorough our history and evaluation are, especially if it is their first experience visiting a chiropractor. The impact of running and walking is responsible for most of the injuries and heel spurs seen in our office. The reason why they impact the ground the way they do varies greatly depending on our body styles and how we have adapted over the years. This is why each patient is evaluated holistically, and care is customized to them. The reasons for hard impact can be flat immobile feet, asymmetry of gait, lower back problems causing tight legs, upper body issues, bad walking or running habits, and an old growth spurt in a tall patient to name a few. Solving the problem requires knowledge of body mechanics and an understanding of how joints work. Our patients are often surprised to find out about our previous experience as the medical director of USA Track and Field and the numerous live athletic events I had worked at. Why choose chiropractic sports physicians first? The medical system has broken up providers into specialties and the segmentation of care has people visiting numerous practitioners to figure out why you hurt and offer interventions that may be more invasive yet, they often fail to recognize many conditions that can be treated effectively with simple solutions. Chiropractors after performing a thorough history often treat on the same day and will use methods such as manipulation to improve joint mobility of both the spine and extremities, soft tissue methods such as myofascial release, and the utilization of exercises to correct problems with strength and movement. Usually, this is performed by the same practitioner and if something needs to change, the chiropractor can make an immediate change instead of having to ask another provider to help unless the doctor determines the condition requires a medical solution. The good news is that most of the time, chiropractors offer a one-stop solution to problems such as heel spurs and foot pain. Need help today? Book online now.