According to statistics, every fifth person suffers from inflammation of the calcaneal fascia, as a result of which a bone spike grows on the heels, causing severe pain and discomfort. Heel spurs can be cured not only with medications and surgery.
Some folk remedies for heel spurs based on the use of simple and inexpensive ingredients give excellent results.
We have collected the most effective recipes, using which you will quickly get rid of a bone thorn.
Folk remedies for heel spurs: basic rules
Treatment with folk remedies can reduce pain and inflammation, as well as save the family budget. Most folk recipes are based on the use of simple and affordable products.
All folk methods of getting rid of heel spurs can be divided into 4 types:
- warming up;
- fast-acting compresses;
- compresses at night;
- herbal treatment.
Before using prescriptions, it is advisable to consult with your doctor. Patients should also understand that folk remedies are not a replacement for drug treatment prescribed by a doctor, but only effectively complement it.
As a rule, the use of unconventional methods is aimed at resolving the bone spine, improving blood circulation and metabolism in the fascia.
To relieve inflammation and restore heel function, medications and special orthopedic insoles are used.
What is Dimexide used for?
The drug is prescribed for problems with the functioning of the musculoskeletal system. In addition, in case of subcutaneous damage to soft tissues, Dimexide actively relieves the inflammatory process. The ability of the drug to enhance the effect of other drugs is often used by doctors in antibacterial therapy. Direct indications for prescribing Dimexide are:
- bursitis;
- arthrosis;
- arthritis;
- radiculitis;
- gout;
- osteochondrosis;
- pain syndrome due to intervertebral hernia;
- scleroderma;
- skin ulcers;
- swelling accompanied by pain;
- synovitis
In addition to the above problems, Dimexide is also used in other areas, including cosmetology.
Warming is the best remedy for heel spurs
Warming effectively relieves pain and softens the bone spine. The course consists of twenty procedures that must be done daily.
The most popular recipes are:
Serum treatment
Heat the product almost to a boil and dilute with water to a temperature that you can tolerate. Immerse your feet in the solution until they cool. The lactic acids contained in the whey actively act on pain receptors, suppressing them, and also help soften the bone growth.
Warming up with alcohol
You need to take alcohol (even technical alcohol will do), vodka or moonshine, and dilute it with water until you get a 20-30 degree liquid. Heat the solution to +80 C. Do not allow it to boil, because the alcohol will evaporate! Then you need to lower your heels into the liquid for 10 minutes. Hot alcohol evaporates and improves metabolic processes in the tissues of the foot, and also has an excellent analgesic effect. There is no need to dry your feet after the bath.
Warming up with clay
Take pharmaceutical clay and pour boiling water until you get a thick porridge. Apply this mixture to the skin of the heels and cover with a cotton or linen napkin. After 30 min. Rinse off the hardened clay with water and apply ointment from the “Pyatkashpor” series to absorb the softened growth. Clay is a natural antiseptic and antioxidant, removes salts and prevents thorn growth.
Warming up with sand
Sand is very heat-intensive and warms not only muscles, but also joints. Take fine sea (river) sand and heat it in the oven on a baking sheet. Stand with your bare feet on the hot sand and stand until it cools down. This method does not have an excellent massage effect, eliminates calluses, restores nerve receptors pinched due to inflammation.
Warming up with pepper
The easiest way: you need to take a mixture of any hot peppers and pour it into socks. On top, put on a bag and woolen or thick cotton socks or warm slippers. It is best to use microwave heated slippers, which you can order from this website.
Walk like this for several hours. After taking off your socks, wash your feet and apply an ointment that contains emollients, for example “Pyatkashpor Ordinary”.
Attention! Warming procedures are contraindicated in the presence of wounds on the feet, varicose veins, as well as in the acute stage of gynecological, infectious and cardiovascular diseases.
Effective treatment methods using physiotherapy
Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment are used to complement the therapeutic approach. The procedures have been proven to be highly effective in combating the disease. Impact on the affected area will help improve the condition, relieve inflammation and pain. It is necessary to treat a heel spur when the first unwanted symptoms appear, which can be easily treated with physical procedures. Otherwise, surgical removal of the bone growth will be suggested.
Shock wave therapy
A little-known but effective method will help eliminate salt deposits - the use of an acoustic wave. Limestone deposits are broken down and removed by blood. Sessions help eliminate clinical symptoms: pain, swelling, discomfort. A positive result of therapy is achieved in 85% of cases. Limitations and contraindications of the method. Pregnancy and lactation, patients with a history of cancer and infectious diseases, heart and vascular diseases, blood clotting problems. The ultrasonic wave disrupts the functioning of pacemakers.
Ultrahigh frequency therapy
The purpose of the method is to expose the lesion to a high-frequency electric current. Due to deep heating of tissues, renewal processes are launched, blood microcirculation is enhanced, and lymph movement is stimulated. This relieves pain and inflammation and relaxes the muscles. UHF therapy is contraindicated in the presence of chronic inflammatory diseases, low blood pressure, proliferative conditions, and pregnant and lactating women.
Magnetotherapy
Physiotherapeutic method using electromagnetic fields. The magnetic effect dilates the vessels of the lower extremities, increases blood flow through the vessels, and stimulates the movement of lymph. Tissues are saturated with oxygen. Magnetic like relieves discomfort and removes liquid from tissues.
Electrophoresis
Helps deliver medications to the affected area using electric current. The method relieves tissue pain, has a beneficial effect on the source of inflammation, and promotes tissue restoration. Contraindications to the procedure are acute infectious diseases, bronchial asthma, dermatitis of various etiologies, oncology, heart failure, and hypertension.
Laser
Another method of x-ray exposure is successfully used in the treatment of planetary fasciitis - laser. The radiation beam is directed to the damaged area, which improves blood circulation and tissue nutrition, stimulates regeneration and restoration, but does not destroy the saline osteophyte.
Traditional recipes for heel spurs: compresses
Compress recipes will tell you how to remove a spur using folk remedies, spending 1-3 hours a day. In combination with drug therapy, compresses will help get rid of fasciitis faster.
Important rules to remember before treating heel spurs at home with compresses:
- Do not use harsh chemicals.
- Make sure you are not allergic to the components of the compress mixture or solution.
- Keep the compress for at least one hour.
- After the procedure, apply foot cream “Pyatkashpor” to moisturize and soften the skin of the feet.
- Take all medications prescribed by your doctor.
- Attend prescribed physical treatments.
- Use Strutz day support and silicone heel pads to reduce stress on the fascia of the foot.
To make a compress, you need to take a gauze bandage, a fixing bandage, cling film or bag, and wool socks. All recipes presented below contain safe ingredients that effectively eliminate spurs when used regularly.
Recipe 1: Potatoes and butter
Boil 3-4 potatoes in their skins and grate. Add 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Apply the warm mixture as a lotion.
Recipe 2: Aspirin and iodine for heel spurs
Crush 4-5 aspirin tablets and mix with honey. This mixture is good for eliminating pain and redness of the heels caused by the growth of a thorn. See here all the recipes for aspirin with iodine for heel spurs.
Recipe 3: Egg yolk with honey
Shake the raw yolk and add honey. Place in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours. Before use, heat in a microwave oven or in a water bath.
Recipe 4: Garlic for heel spurs
Grate 3-4 cloves of garlic and apply to the heel. If you have sensitive skin, you can add vegetable oil or Vaseline oil to avoid burns. Here are the 5 best recipes with garlic for heel spurs.
Recipe 5: Garlic and chalk to soften spurs
Crush the chalk and grate the garlic in a 1:1 ratio. Use the resulting mixture immediately. After washing your feet, apply moisturizer.
Recipe 6: Onions with tar
Take 1 large onion, grate and add a spoonful of tar or tar shampoo. If you are allergic to tar, you can only use grated onion, which perfectly softens keratinized areas and relieves inflammation.
Recipe 7: Turpentine with ammonia
Mix the liquids 1 to 1 and apply for half an hour. This recipe requires caution because... You can get a chemical burn. Do not increase the time of application of the compress and wash your feet thoroughly after the procedure!
Recipe 8: Egg with vinegar for heel spurs
Mix a raw egg with half a regular glass of vinegar and add butter. Heat the mixture until smooth. Hold the compress until you get a crust, which you then carefully remove and spread on your heels with a special cream for the treatment of spurs.
See also the top 5 recipes for treating heel spurs with egg and vinegar.
Recipe 9: Black Radish to Reduce Bone Spike
Grate the radish along with the peel and apply to the spur.
Recipe 10: Medical bile
Prepare the solution according to the instructions and apply a compress. There are many folk recipes on how to treat heel spurs with medical bile, but the greatest effect is the use of ointments with this substance, designed specifically to eliminate heel spurs and calluses.
Symptoms and causes.
Heel spurs themselves usually do not cause any symptoms. However, they may be associated with heel pain. And also cause pain in the tissues adjacent to the spur. For example, at the bottom of the heel or back of the heel where the ligaments or Achilles tendon attach. This may make it difficult to stand, walk, or run, especially when walking barefoot on hard surfaces. There will be soreness and pain in the back of the heel or under the heel.
The presence of a heel spur can be determined using traditional x-rays and/or ultrasound. This test creates an image of a calcium-containing bone spur in the heel bone of the heel.
Heel spurs are mainly common among athletes. However, if there is a lot of stress on the ligaments in the foot, it can put anyone at risk. Here are some of the most common risk factors:
- Excessive running or jogging on hard surfaces.
- Abnormal walking with excessive stress on the heel bone.
- Obesity and excess weight.
- Regularly wearing ill-fitting shoes that do not support the foot properly.
- Gout, arthritis, arthrosis.
- People with flat feeling or high arches.
Compresses for the night: recipes for heel spurs
Night compresses are made from ingredients that have a mild effect. Such folk recipes for the treatment of heel spurs have virtually no contraindications and can be used by people with sensitive skin and neuropathy of the foot.
Tea mushroom
Take a piece of mushroom, put it on a gauze pad and make a compress. The substances contained in kombucha have aseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is important that the compress is constantly wet, so at night you will have to wet the gauze 1-2 times.
Bishofite
Like sea salt for heel spurs, bischofite contains many minerals, which helps normalize metabolism and reduce bone growth. For the compress, you need to prepare a gel or liquid solution of bischofite, which is applied to the heel using a gauze swab. After waking up, your feet should be washed and lubricated with heel spur cream.
Propolis
Gently eliminates inflammation and softens rough skin around the thorn. Before applying the compress, propolis must be softened in hot water and made into a cake. Apply to the heel and secure with a bandage. One piece of propolis can be used several times.
Baby cream with vinegar and raw egg
Unlike the traditional recipe with raw egg and vinegar, rich baby cream is added here, which neutralizes the negative effects of acetic acid and softens the growth. This method helps to cope with pain, eliminates redness of the heel and reduces growth.
Nighttime recipes for heel spurs are safe and effective, but not always convenient to use: few people like to smell vinegar and bischofite in bed.
To restore damaged fascia during sleep, you can use a Strasbourg night sock. This device does not cause discomfort and fixes the feet in a position in which the fascia is restored as quickly as possible.
Regular use of a Strasbourg sock at night will help not only stop inflammation, but also prevent the growth of spurs by normalizing blood circulation in the connective tissues of the heel.
Treatment of heel spurs with traditional medicine using herbs
When considering folk methods of getting rid of spurs on the heels, one cannot fail to mention herbal treatment. To eliminate growths and relieve pain, fresh and dry herbs are used, from which tinctures are prepared.
The recipe for making the tincture is very simple: take the herb and pour boiling water from the kettle. Leave for 30-60 minutes, then dilute with water to the required amount and take a foot bath. You can also make a medicinal lotion from herbs.
What herbs help remove spurs on the feet? To prepare tinctures or lotions you can use:
- Chernobyl;
- cocklebur;
- nettle;
- lilac flowers;
- chamomile, etc.
It is important that the herbs have an aseptic and anti-inflammatory effect.
See also the top 5 recipes for treating heel spurs with burdock, where we will consider the most popular and effective methods.
You can also use homemade aloe: cut the leaf lengthwise and apply fresh sections to the heel fascia for a couple of hours.
Reflexology is an effective folk remedy for heel spurs
An effective remedy for eliminating pain from spurs is offered by the famous reflexologist A.S. Maltseva. This reflexology method is based on Chinese su-jok therapy: you need to take a sharpened pencil and gently poke the heel in search of the most painful place.
After the pain point is found, you need to take a grain of wheat or buckwheat and roll it along the heel, periodically pressing on the pain point. You can stick the grain with an adhesive plaster and go about your normal business.
This reflexology technique helps restore nerve receptors pinched by inflamed fascia.
Do folk methods help with heel spurs?
Effective treatment of heel spurs with folk remedies is only possible when combined with drug therapy and physiotherapy.
Proper unloading of the heel fascia is of great importance, this is especially important for people suffering from flat feet and excess weight. Even the most effective treatment will not help if the heel tissue is constantly damaged when walking.
To prevent this if you have spurs, wear these insoles or special heel pads. At night, use a Strasbourg sock to repair the fascia.
Only with a combination of all methods, heel spur treatment with medications and folk remedies complement each other perfectly, can you be cured of the disease forever.
To prevent the recurrence of spikes, it is recommended to wear heel pads for spurs, follow a diet and properly care for your feet.
Diagnostics
A specialist of any profile will tell you which doctor to contact if you have symptoms of a heel spur. The orthopedist will make an accurate diagnosis based on a history and examination of the patient. The results of an X-ray examination of the foot are of great importance. On an x-ray, as a rule, a spike on the heel tubercle is clearly visible. Among the auxiliary research methods, a general blood test and MRI of the foot can be prescribed.
Differential diagnosis should be carried out for diseases such as:
- bone tuberculosis;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- gout;
- osteomyelitis.