Do heel spurs go away?

No, heel spurs generally don’t ever go away. A heel spur is a bony extension that has formed on the bottom of your heel bone called the calcaneus. It is almost always caused by plantar fasciitis. The real treatment is to treat your plantar fasciitis rather than focus on the heel spur. As an orthopedic surgeon in Colorado Springs, I never recommend heel spur removal, I recommend treating the plantar fasciitis that is causing the pain. 

How do you know if you have a heel spur?

An x-ray of your foot will for sure tell you if you have a heel spur. But, there are a lot of people that have heel spurs that don’t have any pain. If you happen to have a heel spur but no pain, then there is nothing to worry about, you can just leave your heel spur alone. 

How do I know if I have plantar fasciitis or heel spurs? 

Whether or not you have a heel spur doesn’t really matter. What does matter is if you have plantar fasciitis that is causing you pain. Almost always, the plantar fasciitis has caused the heel spur, and not the other way around. The best treatment for a painful heel spur, is to focus on plantar fasciitis related stretching. A cushioned heel insert may help as well. If the pain is really bad, then you may want to look into wearing a specific plantar fasciitis splint that you wear only at night.

Is it OK to walk with a heel spur?

It is absolutely fine to walk with a heel spur. It is not going to break off or get much larger or worse if you walk on it. If you don’t treat your underlying plantar fasciitis, then you will continue to have pain. If you have a heel spur and don’t have any pain, you can pretty much do any activity you like without worrying as long as it doesn’t cause you any pain. 

I hope I was able to answer some of your questions about if heel spurs go away. If you would like me to treat your heel spur and plantar fasciitis, contact us below to make an appointment if you are in the Colorado Springs area. I also am available for virtual consults.