Heel Spurs and Chronic Heel Pain

QUESTION: I have a chronic pain in my heel. I can't tell you what makes it
worse, but nothing makes it better. What causes it? What can I do about it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: If you haven't already done so, you should see a your doctor. About
half of people with heel pain have a spur--that is, a tiny projection from the
bottom of the heel bone. The spur can be seen in an x-ray, and although it
may be less than a quarter of an inch long, it can cause you a great deal of
discomfort.
The other main possibility is an inflammation of one of the tissues that
attaches to the bottom of the heel bone. If your problem is caused by
inflammation, your doctor can prescribe pills to reduce the swelling or give
you steroid injections. In order to recover from the problem, you must
relieve the stress on the muscles and other tissue that attach to the heel
bone. You can do this by wearing shock absorbing shoes or heel cushions and
arch supports. In rare cases, surgery may be required for people with heel
spur pain. The best way to treat the pain, however, is prevention. You
should always wear footwear with shock absorbing qualities, and replace them
with new ones before those shock absorbers are worn out. Also, if you
participate in athletic activities such as running or aerobic dancing, it will
be necessary to ease into them gradually to prevent the problem from flaring
up.