Treatment of heel spurs with iodine: compresses, rubbing and baths. Top 5 best recipes

• We relieve pain in the heel area in 1-2 sessions
• We use the “gold standard” for heel spur treatment
• We provide an individual approach to each patient

A heel spur (plantar fasciitis, calcific tendinitis of the plantar ligament) is a bone growth in the form of a spike or wedge in the area of ​​the plantar surface of the tubercle of the heel bone. Heel spur belongs to a group of diseases such as enthesopathies - diseases of the attachment of tendons, ligaments, fascia to the bone, in which degenerative and inflammatory changes are observed.

Causes of heel spurs

The main reason for the development of heel spurs is chronic trauma to the plantar aponeurosis as a result of various reasons. Thus, in patients suffering from flat feet, heel spurs are often detected. As a result of the development of a chronic inflammatory process in the plantar fascia, calcium salts are deposited. The main starting processes are:

• excessive stress on the legs
• overweight
• uncomfortable shoes
• frequent microtraumas in this area among athletes
• flat feet
• consequences of heel injuries

Facilities

Substances that have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect can help treat heel spurs, such as:

• compresses with garlic;
• iodine;
• dimexide;
• vinegar;
• medical bile;
• honey and propolis;
• salt;
• aspirin;
• various creams and ointments.

All these substances can be used alone, rubbed into the skin of the sore heel, or compresses and creams can be prepared from them according to special recipes. It is strictly not recommended to deviate from the recipe and mix different active substances in the hope of a better effect; such actions can lead to severe burns. Compliance with the recipe is the main condition when using traditional medicine recipes.

Dimexide

In a hospital setting, an orthopedist may prescribe electrophoresis with dimexide and aspirin to treat heel spurs, since dimexide enhances the effect of the drugs, carrying them deep into the tissue. At home, you can make compresses with dimexide and prepare effective tinctures with it.

• Compress. You need to buy a 30% solution of dimexide at the pharmacy and saturate a cotton diaper with it. Wrap a cloth and cling film on top of the sore foot, and put on a sock. The procedure lasts 30 minutes, for the best effect you need to do this compress for at least 2 weeks. For the best effect, before the procedure it is recommended to steam your feet and apply aspirin in powder form to the sore heels.
• Ointment compress. Instead of a solution to prepare a compress, you can use ointment with dimexide; to do this, you need to dilute it with warm water in a ratio of 1:5 and moisten the cloth with the resulting liquid.
• Tincture with propolis. You need to purchase a 70% dimexide solution at the pharmacy and mix it with crushed propolis in a 5:1 ratio. You need to infuse the product for at least 2 weeks, then you need to make compresses with it, but before using the infusion you need to dilute with warm water.

Iodine

Iodine solution is a well-known antiseptic that not only kills bacteria in wounds, but also relieves inflammation and resolves stagnant processes in tissues. Iodine mesh is the simplest remedy used for heel spurs, but it is effective only in the early stages of the disease. In more complex cases, the following recipes with iodine will be effective:

• Lotions with iodine and honey. To prepare this remedy you will need a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of honey and 50 ml of iodine. All ingredients need to be mixed into a homogeneous mass, a small amount of the product should be applied to a cloth or gauze folded 4 times and applied to the sore heel, and a wool sock should be put on top. The resulting substance can be stored in the refrigerator, but warmed up before use. You need to keep the compress on your feet all night.
• Compress with aspirin and iodine. You need to mix 50 ml of iodine and 4 aspirin tablets, crushed into powder. Infuse the resulting solution for 24 hours, then moisten a cotton pad with it and apply it to the sore heel, wrap it with cling film on top and put on a woolen sock. You need to keep the compress all night.
• Compress with medical bile. You will need a teaspoon of medical bile, 3-5 drops of iodine and a teaspoon of liquid soap. All ingredients need to be mixed, soaked in a piece of cloth, gauze or cotton pad, and applied to the sore heel for 1.5-2 hours, wrap the top of the leg with cling film and put on a woolen sock. It is important to note that the product is considered aggressive and can cause a burn on sensitive skin, so if there is a strong burning sensation, you should not tolerate it; you must immediately remove the compress, rinse the skin generously and lubricate it with panthenol.
• Bath with iodine. You need to pour hot water into a basin and dissolve 25-30 ml of iodine and a tablespoon of soda in it, then place both feet in the solution for 15 minutes, repeat the procedure every day for 2 weeks. After the bath, you can apply an iodine mesh or a special ointment for the treatment of heel spurs, which was prescribed by the doctor.

Synergy

To increase the effectiveness of treating heel spurs with lotions, compresses and ointments, you need to combine their use with other conservative treatment methods:

• physical therapy and massage;
• wearing orthoses and orthopedic insoles;
• unloading the foot and maintaining bed rest;
• the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, analgin, ibuprofen, as prescribed by the doctor.

A timely visit to an orthopedist guarantees quick relief from the symptoms of the disease, so it is so important not to delay and at the first sensation of pain, go to the doctor and start treatment.
Before using any folk remedies, consultation with a specialist is necessary. Share:

Symptoms

The main complaint that patients have with a heel spur is a burning pain when placing weight on the heel; a feeling of a “nail” in the heel is the most common symptom of a heel spur. Lameness often develops. A heel spur significantly affects the patient’s quality of life, especially if it occurs on both legs at once. In this case, if both feet hurt, the patient simply cannot move normally; the only option is to walk on his toes. The main danger of a heel spur lies precisely in the severe pain and limitation of the motor activity of patients against this background.

Express treatment of heel spurs with iodine and aspirin

To quickly relieve severe pain, you can try an express remedy for heel spurs, in which iodine and aspirin complement each other and relieve pain in the heel.

Preparing the lotion will take no more than 5 minutes: you need to take 1 bottle of iodine solution and pour it into a small container. Crush two aspirin tablets and add iodine. Soak cotton wool in the mixture and apply to the inflamed area of ​​the foot. Hold until the pain disappears.

For intense pain, one aspirin tablet can be replaced with an analgin, tempalgin or other painkiller tablet. You can take ready-made ampoules at the rate of 1 ampoule per 1 bottle of iodine solution.

Aspirin and iodine for heel spurs are very effective for pain, but you can use it no more than once a day for no more than 7 days in a row.

Attention! Iodine enhances the penetration of pharmaceuticals into tissues, so this compress can be done no earlier than 3 hours after oral administration of painkillers.

Treatment

Treatment for heel spurs is conservative in most cases. It is worth noting that surgical treatment methods, according to foreign authors, have proven to be low in effectiveness. Drug and physiotherapeutic treatment of heel spurs is aimed at relieving inflammation of the tissues around the heel tubercle and increasing the elasticity of the ligaments. In this case, even a bone growth will not cause pain when walking. Doctors at the Bone Clinic will select an individual treatment program for each patient.

It is worth noting that for a long time, the treatment of such a group of diseases as enthesopathies, namely heel spurs, was quite problematic. With the advent of the modern method of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), treatment of spurs has ceased to be a problem! Currently, ESWT is the gold standard for the treatment of enthesopathies throughout the world. It has been proven that ESWT is more effective than surgery, while being safe and painless. Such unique equipment is available only in one medical center in our republic - the Bone Clinic.

How does iodine work for heel spurs?

Iodine has antiseptic, warming and anti-inflammatory properties. Everyone has a bottle of 5% iodine in their medicine cabinet, so treating fasciitis with this remedy can begin as soon as the first signs of the disease appear.

Before we tell you how to cure a heel spur with iodine, it is necessary to recall the effect that this antiseptic has on the heel spur:

• disinfection of tissues around the growth;
• preventing infection;
• stimulating blood circulation;
• improving the elasticity of fascial tissue;
• enhancing the regeneration of micro-fractures;
• relief of inflammation;
• pain relief.

If you have a heel spur, treatment with folk remedies, including iodine, should be carried out only after the approval of a specialist. Iodine is a biologically active agent and penetrates deeply into connective tissue, enhancing the effect of certain pharmaceuticals.

The treatment program for this disease at the Bone Clinic may include:

Shock wave therapy

More details

PRP therapy

More details

Acupuncture administration of ozone

More details

Teraquantum therapy

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Interference therapy

More details

Diagnostics

The following may help diagnose plantar fasciitis:

• patient complaints;
• visual examination of the foot;
• palpation;
• X-ray results (in late stages of the disease) and ultrasound.

Thanks to all these studies, it is possible to obtain a correct diagnosis and begin timely treatment of the patient.

Before treatment

After an operation to eliminate venous discharges and a course of conservative therapy, the ulcer cleared up, pigmentation and swelling decreased

Then the treatment was continued, the ulcer gradually epithelialized and decreased in size

Causes

Pathology owes its development to a number of diseases:

• flat feet;
• excess weight;
• constant wearing of high-heeled shoes;
• violation of metabolic processes;
• intestinal, gynecological, urological infections;
• neurodystrophic disorders;
• calcaneal injuries;
• complications of chronic pathologies: arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, etc.

Helping the patient in the treatment of PS, the doctor first identifies the causes of the pathology and, if possible, eliminates them. This should be done immediately to prevent the uncontrolled development of the disease.

The result of treatment is that the ulcer has healed.

Excellent results are observed when performing sclerotherapy of incompetent veins or perforators. If traditional surgical intervention against the background of a source of infection is fraught with purulent complications, then sclerotherapy in this regard is relatively safe and gives good results, because eliminates pathological venous discharges along varicose veins or perforators.

Particularly difficult is the treatment of trophic ulcers in patients prone to drug use when injecting drugs into the veins of the lower extremities. In this population, trophic ulcers are almost always combined with postthrombophlebitic syndrome, decreased immunity, and concomitant diseases (hepatitis C, HIV, hepatic-renal failure, etc.). Ulcers are usually deep and resistant to treatment, especially with continued drug use. The photo below shows trophic ulcers of the legs of a drug addict; the arrows indicate necrotic bone at the bottom of the wound.

Phlebologist in Moscow.

Contraindications and precautions

Iodine should not be used during pregnancy, or in the case of:

• hypersensitivity to the drug;
• hemorrhagic diathesis;
• severe renal dysfunction.

Failure to comply with recommended dosages causes burns. During treatment, allergic reactions (irritation, urticaria, Quincke's edema and others) may occur. If side effects occur, you should stop using iodine and consult a doctor.

A compress with pepper sometimes causes an unbearable burning sensation. If this happens, you should immediately remove it and wash your feet with running water at a comfortable temperature. Do not allow the product to come into contact with the soft skin of the feet, as this can cause burns.

The main approaches to treatment currently are as follows:

1. Treatment should be carried out continuously, with frequent visits to the doctor for its correction.
2. Treatment should be comprehensive: it includes the administration of drugs orally and parenterally, local treatment, surgical treatment (staged phlebectomy, sclerotherapy of varicose veins or incompetent perforators), an important point is adequate elastic compression , which, unfortunately, is ignored by many doctors.

In this article I would like to dwell in more detail on elastic compression and modern wound coverings.

Elastic compression is an important condition for the treatment of trophic venous ulcers. Moreover, the compression must be at least class three; it is advisable to use not standard compression stockings or knee socks, but elastic bandages of short or medium elongation. For the treatment of ulcers, a short-stretch bandage “Varolast” with zinc impregnation from Hartman is well suited. The bandage can be applied for several days. In fact, it is an analogue of the well-proven Unna dressing.

A regular elastic bandage of short or medium elongation is applied over the Varolast bandage, thus forming a two-layer bandage. It is very important to decide on the material that is applied directly to the ulcer. If the ulcer is infected, with a large amount of discharge, absorbent dressings are well suited for it - sorbalgon or perma-foam .

If the ulcer is infected, but with a small discharge - atrauman Ag with silver ions.

For small discharge and sensitive skin - atrauman .

When applying a bandage for several days, it is advisable to use a perma-foam bandage.

In general, the bandage looks like this: wound covering, Varolast bandage, elastic bandage.

A contraindication to the application of a bandage is arterial insufficiency of the lower extremities; a relatively contraindication is diabetes mellitus.

Video - Treatment of trophic ulcers, zinc bandage Varolast

Below are photos of the treatment of a trophic ulcer, which is shown in the video above.