A heel spur forms because the body wants to repair small tears in the tendon plate with calcium deposits. These cause the heel spur to form, which can be up to 15 millimetres long. 80 percent of cases are cured with insoles and stretching exercises. But patients need a lot of patience - it can take up to nine months.

The wrong footwear

The cause is always chronic overloading of the heel. This is because the heel cushions the body with every step, and from a certain point on, this strain is too much. Small tears develop in the tendon plate and the body tries to heal these tears with calcium deposits - this is how the heel spur develops. It can grow up to 15 millimeters long. Jogging on asphalt, for example, is often the cause, as are shoes without a footbed such as ballerinas and sandals. The heel spur itself does not hurt - an inflammation of the tendon plate causes the pain.

Stretching exercises help

The first thing to do is to relieve the heel by using cushioned or custom-made insoles from an orthopaedic specialist. Those affected also do certain stretching exercises to strengthen the arch of the foot. If this does not help, other methods are used: shock waves are supposed to accelerate healing (the insurance company does not pay), X-rays (the insurance company pays) or an operation to remove the heel spur. However, this is a last resort.