Medicinal treatment of calcaneal spur

As we managed to find out, the cause of pain with a calcaneal spur is in the damage to tissues formed by the build-up and the inflammatory processes that regularly occur in the affected area. The tactics of treating such a disease will depend on the size of the build-up, its location and the strength of the symptoms it causes.

The simplest and most reliable way to combat osteophytes is to remove them, which can be performed by various methods: using a scalpel and other surgical instruments, a laser, X-rays, cryodestruction, shock wave therapy, etc. But even removal of the build-up will not bring a lasting lasting result unless the inflammation of the tissues in the heel region is eliminated and repeated tissue damage is prevented in this area.

Surgical treatment of the calcaneal spur is a radical method of therapy, which is resorted to in the ineffectiveness of previous medical treatment. But in most cases, it is not necessary to resort to it, because an integrated approach to the treatment of fasciitis and calcaneal spurs can save patients from pain and inflammation. And as for the prevention of the disease, someone who has once experienced piercing pain in the heel will not want to repeat them and will do everything that the doctor advises in this regard. And this is primarily a fight against excess weight and a change in activities, which is associated with increased stress on the feet. After all, these factors are the most frequent  causes of heel spurs.

But back to the treatment of the calcaneal spur with the help of medications. Particularly popular in this regard are preparations from a group of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that can simultaneously cope with the two main symptoms of the disease: inflammation and pain. Depending on the degree of tissue damage and the severity of symptoms, NSAIDs can be prescribed for both local and systemic use.

Preparations "Ibuprofen", "Nimid", "Nimesulid", "Movalis", etc. In the form of tablets are intended for oral administration. But only one systemic treatment, which is also not always necessary, is not limited. Much more effective in the case of a calcaneal spur is a local treatment, for which ointments and gels with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect are used. In addition to the NSAIDs for external use ("Ibuprofen", "Diclofenac", "Voltaren", "Fleksen", "Butadion", etc.), doctors can prescribe hormonal anti-inflammatory drugs (often hydrocortisone, less often indomethacin ointment).

Any anti-inflammatory ointment should be applied to the heel after a certain preparation, which consists in steaming the skin. That is, before rubbing the ointment into the skin, the heel should be held for several minutes in hot water. After that, the skin is soaked and active motions are rubbed into it with ointments, gels or solutions. This will help the drug to penetrate deeper layers of tissues, where inflammation is observed.

They well relieve pain syndrome and inflammation, improve metabolism and reduce the risk of infection of tissues in case of damage to some locally irritating agents. Dimexide, which can be used in the form of a gel, has proved to be very good in this respect, it can be applied in the form of a gel, as well as the other above mentioned ointments 2-4 times a day on the heel or solution area (a compress from Dimexide, for which 5 parts of water are taken and 1 part of liquid medicine, apply it in a quarter of an hour after the application of local NSAIDs). For the same purpose, you can use medical bile.

Treatment with anti-inflammatory ointments and solutions takes at least 2 weeks, after which the patient feels much better.

For severe pain, drugs in this group can be injected. In this case, we are talking about the introduction of steroid means into the heel joint (usually a hydrocortisone solution). Such treatment takes much less time (usually two or three injections are enough) and gives a quick effect, promoting the resorption of osteophytes. But an experienced specialist should conduct it.

If the pain is so severe that the patient is unable to tolerate it, but anti-inflammatory drugs do not help, they are taking a novocaine blockade (the location of the osteophyte is cut off with novocaine solution). In an acute period of the disease, you may need to take several procedures a day.

As a treatment option, doctors consider the use of a special therapeutic patch with analgesic and antiseptic action, which must be glued to the painful area, leaving it to work for 24 hours. This method of treating the disease can be called the simplest and most pleasant, but not the cheapest, because 2 or more packs of plaster (about 400-500 UAH) will be needed for the course of treatment.

In parallel with drug treatment, patients are prescribed physiotherapy sessions: electrophoresis with novocaine, phonophoresis with steroid drugs, magnetotherapy, massage, therapeutic baths, ultrasound, paraffin therapy, etc. The choice of procedures is carried out by the attending physician taking into account the patient's condition and available contraindications.

But that's not all. It is difficult to fight with pain and inflammation in that part of the body that is constantly experiencing a significant load. In order for the treatment to be effective, it is necessary to maximally relieve the diseased leg (or both legs, if osteophytes have formed on the heels of both limbs). For this purpose, the doctor will recommend the patient:

• to revise the diet and observe the rules of eating behavior that is necessary for weight correction (people with excess weight can not count on a long-term result if they do not bring the body weight back to normal, because increased loads will lead to new microfractures and tissue inflammation, which in turn is fraught with the formation of new spurs),
• during the treatment to comply with bed rest or if possible to limit their movement (as little as possible walk or stand to protect the heel from pressure, not to mention the refusal of long trips and sports),
• if you can not keep bed rest, you need to try to at least reduce the load on the big heel by wearing special orthopedic insoles or shoes, using support devices (crutches, canes, etc.)
• at night, when a person does not control the movements of the feet, it is advisable to wear orthoses that fix the foot in a static position (at an angle of 90 degrees to the shin), thereby helping to avoid unintentional load on the leg and allowing it to relax and the micro cracks to be tightened,
• in addition to NSAIDs and steroid ointments used in traditional heel spur therapy, doctors can recommend drugs in the form of biologically active additives that improve tissue regeneration. Benefits for heel spurs and plantar fasciitis can be ointments "Kontraktubeks" and "Golden mustache", leg creams "Tiger eye ORTO" and "Akuliy fat", gel "Piatkoshpor" and other funds on a natural basis.

In order for the treatment to be successful, and the probability of a relapse remained minimal, one must try to fulfill all the physician's requirements, regularly perform prescribed procedures, fight excess weight and, most importantly, protect the aching leg from palpable loads. When the acute period passes, it will be possible to practice physical therapy and massage with the subsequent fixation of the foot with a special sports tape or plaster.

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