OUCH! Heel Spurs

For the last month or so, I haven't been doing all the exercise that I SHOULD be doing. That's because of a nasty little heel spur that I've managed to develop sometime in late June/early July.

I knew absolutely nothing about heel spurs - other than the fact that they HURT.
I thought they were cause from pieces of bone or cartaliage or something similar.
I also thought the only cure would be surgery to "dig in there" and have it removed.
Then I did a little research.
And I found out a LOT about heel spurs that I didn't know.

First of all, a heel spur isn't bone-related at all!
It's actually caused by strain and damage to tissue in our foots called "fascia".
This damage leads to the sensation of something "stuck" in the heel of our foot poking us - which can be quite painful if you've ever experienced it.

When I first started feeling the heel spur, I stopped wearing shoes, thinking that would help. But it only made it worse!
Wearing shoes, especially those with a slight heel or wedge to them, actually HELPS the spur by taking some of the weight off it, thus allowing it to heel.

I also found out that 9 times out of 10, a heel spur doesn't need surgery, but instead needs STRETCHING. The fascia is kind of like a muscle (only less flexible) and stretching the area will reduce the tension put on the fascia.

So, today I put on my shoes. I will also be doing a few stretches today to see if that actually helps! I'll keep you all posted - I really want to get my move on this week!

All information regarding heel spurs was found at the Heel Spur Website.


Here's to being losers in 2011!