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Question:

I recommend a product called "superfeet inserts" to help relieve the fascitis (sp?) from a heel spur.  They’re hard pieces of plastic that fit inside shoes and provide arch support in the right place.  I bought mine at R.E.M. which is a store that specializes in equipment for outdoor sports.  They also sell canoes, skis, and tents.  Mine cost $30.00 U.S. which I thought was a bit steep for plastic, but they’ve worked for me so I now consider them a bargain.  Before I put them in my shoes, I couldn’t walk more than a block or two before starting to limp with pain.  Now I can walk as I always did.  The only lifestyle change I’ve made is that I now wear shoes all the time I’m awake, even in the house.  I always used to go barefooted whenever I could.  The inserts come is a few varieties depending on the sort of shoe they’re being put in so they can be put inside running shoes, ice skates, ski boots, dress shoes, etc.  I’d been wearing shoes with good arch supports before, but the inserts provide even more support, and that’s what does the trick. The podiatrist also recommended stretching exercises, ice and aspirin, but those didn’t work for me.  I believe they work for others. –Lia —

Response:

You may want to check: http://www.cinche.com/4-heelspur.htm Before you buy.

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Most people who have heel disorders are middleaged or overweight. Hell spurs are also common in people who have arthritis, neurities, alkalosis and tendinitis. Use arnicia and chamomile to bathe the foot.  You can also wrap the herbs in a cloth and apply it to the affected area as a poultice. Select well-made, rubber-heeled shoes; these are better for the feet than leather.  Avoid walking on hard surfaces such as concrete, wood, or hard floors without carpeting. http://www.cancerpage.com Thought of the day:         Look Wayne, the bat signal!!!  —====(M)

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These spurs are often the result of acid/alkaline imbalance in the body. Do you also have rheumatoid arthritis? Do a fasting detoxification program to clear out acid wastes. Then eat a fresh raw foods for a month. Eat a green salad every day, and drink black cherry juice daily. Have a green drink or carrot/beet/cucumber juice every 3 days to flush the kidneys. Avoid fats, fried foods, sugars, alcohol, red meats, caffeine, chocolate, sodas, and other oxalic acid forming foods. Eat a low salt diet. Eat 2 to 3 apples a day. Make sure your diet is rich in whole foods, vegetables and fibers, low in sugars, meat and saturated fats. Eliminate hard liquor and fried food. Soak feet in the hottest water you can stand for as long as you can stand. Use castor oil packs. Mix a solution of Vitamin C crystals and water to a paste. Apply to spur, and secure with tape. Leave on all day for several weeks to see improvement. — Kay http://www.herbcare.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

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X-No Archive: Yes Do a search on the net for FASCIITIS and you will find all types of exercises and stretches that DO WORK!  I know,.. I tried them and spared myself surgery about 2 years ago. PS She must avoid all high heels and flats and wear only a good quality (like Nikki) sneaker/walking shoe. — Carol….. Before buying health care products on the net see: http://www.quackwatch.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do?

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X-No Archive: Yes

I used a product called Acid-a-Cal when I developed a heel spur.  It has to do with the system becoming too alkaline

$$ The PH of your body is carefully regulated and cannot get "too alkaline" or you would die.  Spurs or fasciitis are tiny tears in the fascia that heal and reopen endlessly.  There is excellent NON-commercial info on the net. and the Acid-a-Cal supposedly starts the re-acidification process.

$$$ Which has nothing to do with spurs/fasciitis.   It takes time however.  Look at a good natural food store.  Supplier is Enzymatic Therapy.  Good luck.  C. Bond.

$$$  The stretches work for many and no drugs, meds or alt.supplements needed. — Carol….. Before buying health care products on the net see: http://www.quackwatch.com

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X-No Archive: Yes

These spurs are often the result of acid/alkaline imbalance in the body.

$$$ Bodily PH is carefully regulated or we die.  Spurs (fasciitis) is usually caused by an original injury and is worse in the obese.  Body PH is not involved. Do you also have rheumatoid arthritis?

$$$  Few in my fasciitis support group had arthritis.  And I don’t have ra either. Do a fasting detoxification program to clear out acid wastes.

$$ What wastes?  From where?  Her feet?   STRETCHING exercises cure this problem alone.  Why make it more difficult with new-age nonsense? Then eat a fresh raw foods for a month.

$$ Diet has NOTHING to do with fasciitis (spurs) which are caused by an initial injury (over stretching with tiny tears) to the fascia that gets the ball rolling. ====diet snipped as it’s useless for this problem=== — Carol….. Before buying health care products on the net see: http://www.quackwatch.com

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NOT!!!  Ice massages is what the podiatrist recommended for me with both the plantar fasciitis and the achilles tendinitis. Heat would only aggravate the inflamed tendons that this poor woman has. Sherry Who’s been through it.

<snip Soak feet in the hottest water you can stand for as long as you can stand.

<snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — Kay http://www.herbcare.com My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

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I would disagree with you somewhat about the high heels.  With both cases of spurs that I’ve had, the podiatrists have recommended low heels – 1-2".  Not super high heels, but some elevation to release the pressure on the tendons. Barefoot was out – but since I’m a barefoot kind of gal, as soon as the tenditis settled down (and fasciitis), I was back to barefooting with no problem.  However, I wouldn’t walk any great distance without proper footwear.  You want something with good arch support, adequate toe room, good heel counter with no twist.  Wearing most women’s shoes are the absolute worst thing we can do for our feet!  I’ve found SAS to be one of the more correctly designed brands. Sherry

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – X-No Archive: Yes Do a search on the net for FASCIITIS and you will find all types of exercises and stretches that DO WORK!  I know,.. I tried them and spared myself surgery about 2 years ago. PS She must avoid all high heels and flats and wear only a good quality (like Nikki) sneaker/walking shoe. — Carol….. Before buying health care products on the net see: http://www.quackwatch.com My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do?

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NOT!!!  Ice massages is what the podiatrist recommended for me with both the plantar fasciitis and the achilles tendinitis. Heat would only aggravate the inflamed tendons and/or fascia that this poor woman has. The bone spurs themselves are probably not what’s causing the pain – it’s more likely inflamed tendon or fascia. Sherry Who’s been through it.

<snip Soak feet in the hottest water you can stand for as long as you can stand.

<snip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – — Kay http://www.herbcare.com My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

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X-No Archive: Yes —

I would disagree with you somewhat about the high heels.  With both cases of spurs that I’ve had, the podiatrists have recommended low heels – 1-2". Not super high heels, but some elevation to release the pressure on the

tendons. $$$ I was talking about HIGH heels.  Not regular heels.  I should have made that plainer.  Flats are out!  But then we’re all different.  This is what was recommended and worked for the group I was in. .  Wearing most women’s shoes are the absolute worst thing we can do for our feet!

$$$ That is so true!  Fashion rules as our feet get more and more damaged.  I’ve found SAS to be one of the more correctly designed brands.

– Carol… "Follow your dream!  Unless it’s the one where you’re at work in your underwear during a fire drill." – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –

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I am interesting in understanding why you attribute this relatively well understood problem to an acid alkaline imbalance?  What is it about the imbalance that you are aware of that would favor bone hypertrophy as compared to the more typical model of bone spur formation as a reaction to mechanical soft tissue tensile forces? What is the focus of interest in oxalic acid? As someone has already mentioned, applying intense heat or even moderate heat to inflammed soft tissues has been conclusively demonstrated to accelerate the inflammatory process and lead to further soft tissue disorganization or destruction.  What principles of treatment do you draw from to recommend heat during the assumed acute phase of injury?  Why not apply ice for the first twenty four to forty eight hours? What is the influence of castor oil in this situation?  Does it address the imbalance or some other aspect of the problem? Finally, why apply a Vitamin C paste to the site superficial to the spur?  Is it intended to have the Vitamin C penetrate to the spur?  Is there a distinction between acid waste and good acid?  (No LSD jokes, please, Yarrow!)  Do you consider Vitamin C acidic and if so, why are you attempting, perhaps, to decrease physiological acidity systemically via digestive intake and excretion while applying, perhaps, acid topically and locally near the problem site? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – These spurs are often the result of acid/alkaline imbalance in the body. Do you also have rheumatoid arthritis? Do a fasting detoxification program to clear out acid wastes. Then eat a fresh raw foods for a month. Eat a green salad every day, and drink black cherry juice daily. Have a green drink or carrot/beet/cucumber juice every 3 days to flush the kidneys. Avoid fats, fried foods, sugars, alcohol, red meats, caffeine, chocolate, sodas, and other oxalic acid forming foods. Eat a low salt diet. Eat 2 to 3 apples a day. Make sure your diet is rich in whole foods, vegetables and fibers, low in sugars, meat and saturated fats. Eliminate hard liquor and fried food. Soak feet in the hottest water you can stand for as long as you can stand. Use castor oil packs. Mix a solution of Vitamin C crystals and water to a paste. Apply to spur, and secure with tape. Leave on all day for several weeks to see improvement. — Kay http://www.herbcare.com My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

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My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

Response:

I’m 53.  I have had heel spurs both on the bottom of the heel from plantar fasciitis and on the back of the heel from achilles insertional calcific tendinitis. These cases were several years apart.  In both instances I saw a podiatrist.  With the plantar fasciitis, I had injections, wrapping and custom orthotics.  With the achilles problem, I had a night splint, heel lifts, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory meds.  In both cases, it took several months for the pain to settle down, but I am now back to "normal", walk without pain and don’t use any special orthotics, splints, etc, anymore (except I do continue to use the heel lifts, which are no biggie).  I am *very* careful about shoes I buy – I make sure that they give my foot proper support and esp don’t rub on the achilles spur.  The podiatrist said to make sure my heel is up a bit so shoes with a "negative heel" are out.  I have a couple pair of Birkenstocks that I had heel lifts built into so I can comfortably wear them. These methods should be tried before surgery is even considered. Surgery is always a last resort. Sherry

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

Response:

I used a product called Acid-a-Cal when I developed a heel spur.  It has to do with the system becoming too alkaline and the Acid-a-Cal supposedly starts the re-acidification process.  It takes time however.  Look at a good natural food store.  Supplier is Enzymatic Therapy.  Good luck.  C. Bond. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

Response:

I agree with Sherry….heel spur surgery is an absolutely last resort.  In many cases the pain from scar tissue is just as bad as the original spur.  There are some good exercises that help one of which is:  stand on the edge of a step with the front of your foot and gently lower the heel, rise up on the toes and again slowly lower the heel.  It is suggested that this be done for several reps and at least 3 times a day if not more often.  It helps. I just finished a year long bout with heel spurs….this exercise plus wearing a 2" heel (to get the weight off my heel an onto the ball of my foot), icing my heel at the end of the day, sleeping with a small neodymium magnet on the heel of my foot at night   (to help reduce the inflammation and pain) and when wearing flats using a Dr. Scholls heel spur orthotic helped tremendously.  I still don’t walk around barefoot……bad thing to do. Good luck to the original poster of this thread.  Heel spurs are not fun and can last a very long time.  BUT AGAIN, SURGERY IS THE LAST RESORT! Marlynn – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m 53.  I have had heel spurs both on the bottom of the heel from plantar fasciitis and on the back of the heel from achilles insertional calcific tendinitis. These cases were several years apart.  In both instances I saw a podiatrist.  With the plantar fasciitis, I had injections, wrapping and custom orthotics.  With the achilles problem, I had a night splint, heel lifts, physical therapy and anti-inflammatory meds.  In both cases, it took several months for the pain to settle down, but I am now back to "normal", walk without pain and don’t use any special orthotics, splints, etc, anymore (except I do continue to use the heel lifts, which are no biggie).  I am *very* careful about shoes I buy – I make sure that they give my foot proper support and esp don’t rub on the achilles spur.  The podiatrist said to make sure my heel is up a bit so shoes with a "negative heel" are out.  I have a couple pair of Birkenstocks that I had heel lifts built into so I can comfortably wear them. These methods should be tried before surgery is even considered. Surgery is always a last resort. Sherry My wife is 39 and has a heel spur.  Any advice on what to do? its starting to affect our outdoor lifestyle.  And the doctors have told her to get it operated or live with it??? Thanks for anything Kirk Before you buy.

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