A bone spur is a bump on your heel that can cause considerable pain and discomfort, often making routine activities like standing and walking very difficult or impossible. A bone spur can be stimulated to form as your body’s defense against the increased pressure and stress caused to an isolated area, often by tightly fitting footwear. Calluses also form in this manner. Both problems frequently happen in the heel area, but they can occur elsewhere.

What causes bone spurs?

Some of the issues that can cause or contribute to bone spurs include the following:

• Badly fitting shoes—Shoes and footwear that cause excessive pressure and rubbing should be replaced or avoided.
• High-stress sports—Sports that involve high-stress impacts from jumping and running can contribute to the formation of bone spurs.
• Obesity—Being overweight increases the heavy pressure on the heel bone, which exacerbates the problem.
• Complications from diabetes—Since bone spurs are more likely to occur and cause problems in diabetic patients, those individuals with diabetes should be extra careful with their feet to avoid infections and amputations.

A minor bone spur may not cause any serious problems and will often go undetected for years, but a more severe case requires intervention. Bone spurs can often be treated with custom orthotic inserts that can isolate problems and correct abnormal foot mechanics. Make sure your shoes are not causing the problem, and get your feet properly measured, fitted, and inspected to ensure the best footwear selections.

If more conservative treatments are not providing relief, surgery may be necessary to remove the bony protrusion. At Your Next Step, our team of board-certified podiatrists has access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience, to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, including sports injuries, joint pain, toe deformities, nail fungus, chronic tendon pain, and skin problems. Dr. Eric Ricefield, Dr. Mark Yagodich, and Dr. Aliza V. Eisen provide high-quality foot and ankle care to patients in the greater Philadelphia area at our offices conveniently located in Ardmore, Paoli, and Downingtown, PA. Please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.