Bone spurs - YouLookFab Forum

I just got out of an appointment with the sports medicine doc. I'd gone to him for some ongoing pain and nerve sensitivity in both feet that I'd assumed was from bad sprains in both ankles (from 4-5 years ago).

X-rays revealed that both feet have bone spurs. Not in the heel but at the spot on top where the foot bends and flexes into the leg.

So now I'm waiting for this separate department to make me some heel lifts. I'm supposed to not wear flat shoes for at least a while. Supposedly the lifts will fit inside my flat shoes. Or I can also wear heels. Avoid bare feet.

He said that likely the spurs are congenital, though I'm reading online that they can be caused or exacerbated by inflammation (rather than being the cause of inflammation?). Anyhow, I know next to nothing about those.

I'm hoping that after 6 weeks of wearing a raised heel, I'll feel better when I actually try and wear heels for tango that are currently very uncomfortable. It doesn't seem to all add up, but there you go.

7 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ugh. This sounds horrible. I have zero answers but I can tell you that I have also been dealing with ongoing heel pain for almost a year and a half. No bone spurs dx'd but they have not x-rayed. They thought plantar fasciitis and it certainly was that, but there is residual "weirdness" and occasional pain and the foot is basically not where it should be.

Having said that, I do get a lot of comfort from the right shoes. Lifts in shoes for PF help, Superfeet insoles can help in flat shoes like sneakers, FitFlops were great in summer for casual wear, and I do much better in a 1.5 to 2 inch block heel.

Hoping you get some answers and some relief very soon!

Mochi

Oof, that doesn't sound fun, Suz. I would strongly advise getting x-rays. I'd never gave suspecting having this.

Thanks for the shoe recs!

Glory

Oh Mochi that sounds very painful. I hope that the custom insoles help. Is the idea that you relieve the pressure and then it begins to repair?

Yes, Glory. The spurs are at a stress point, so anything that opens up that angle will take some pressure off of the spur and decrease inflammation, hopefully.

Anonymous

Oh you poor dear! I, too, suffer from foot problems, so I can relate. I hope you can get this resolved quickly. If you find out the details on the inflammation thing, please let me know. I have a high CRP level, and problem feet, so I wonder if there's a connection.

Marmee

Mochi, I am so sorry to hear about this. I had a bone spur in my big toe joint, and it was painful.

Regarding the inflammation paradox, I think what you read online is that the spurs can be exacerbated by systemic inflammation (which then causes localized inflammation). I take curcumin for inflammation. Refined carbohydrates and sugar in the diet (and blood sugar management issues) can also contribute to inflammation. ETA - I feel like my joint pain has improved immensely since I cut sugar out of my diet (mostly...)

Thanks, all. BC, sorry for your condition. I don't know that I've been tested for CRP. I can assume I have inflammation because it's common, I have a high-sugar diet (marmee, I know, I have to stop...) and other issues that suggest inflammation.

It's not that big a deal at all. But my feet are moderately messed up.

Nebraskim

Friend had surgery right before Christmas to remove a spur that was on top of her foot. The spur caused a lot of pain, the surgery was fairly easy, the recovery went well, and she is now pain-free for the first time in years. I hope you find relief soon.

On my vegan diet, I've cut out all refined carbs (I hadn't been eating them to amount to anything anyway) and most sugar, but maybe I need to cut out even more sugar to see if it helps.

Staysfit

So sorry to hear about your painful condition. I hope this intervention works. I don't know much about bone spurs. I know it is a condition many runners can develop because repeated bouts of plantar fasciitis can cause it, but that would be a heel spur, not the type you have. When I injured my ankle and they did the x-ray and MRI of my feet I was somewhat relieved to see that after all my years of torturing my feet I don't have any arthritis or bone spurs. They are apparently very common. My stepfather had them. He wore orthotics and certain shoes. It helped him, and he never complained. I also suggest you look into the MELT method once your feet are no longer inflamed. Another thing that may help are some exercises to help strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your feet. For that you may need to find a PT who specializes in working with foot injuries. I suspect it will be well worth your time.

Runcarla

UGH! Foot pain sucks! I've been dealing with left heel pain since the fall. Like Suz, I'm using Superfeet inserts (relief!). However anything higher than a 1 inch heel is intolerable. Like Suz, I don't know if I have true PF since I don't have the tell tale tightness in the bottom of the foot, nor tenderness and I get almost immediate relief when I do Achilles stretches.

Category