Yay! Received my very first emailed question and I’m excited! Unfortunately, it’s on a subject in which I am not well versed. I thought I would post some information on it and also hope someone might be able to offer more suggestions.
From BJ:
Have you ever dealt with heel spurs? If so, what has helped you?
I began a C25K program Oct. ’09, but within the first week had the worst heel pain. I was limping back to my car from the jogging trail. My heel had been hurting off and on all summer (I limped around the grocery store after about 5 min. shopping!). The running really aggravated it. Have good shoes, inserts, even taking a supplement a lady at church with a heel spur had given me, but with mixed results.
BJ, as said above, I have not. I’ve found some info on them though.
What are heel spurs, some of you might be asking. They are small points of calcium sticking out and downward from the heel bone, causing tenderness. Issues like high arches, flat feet and Achilles tendonitis predispose some people to heel spurs.
What can you do about them?
- Buildup to long distances slowly
- Stretches may help. Check out these great stretches. You may also want to massage the bottoms of your feet to prevent the injury.
- Rest your feet and use ice when you first experience pain. Ice 20 minutes, three to four times a day for several days. As the pain subsides, warm soaks can help
- Try a different shoe or arch support. Some people have found success by trying a different brand of running shoe.
- Never walk bare foot until the pain is gone. Try to choose high arch support shoes in everyday life.
- After trying over the counter orthotics, one may want to try (more expensive) custom made orthotic.
- Replace your shoes regularly
- Do not run on hard surfaces such as concrete
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, maybe someone else will chime in.
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