Inflammation Relief
Let’s face it; you spend a lot of time on your feet. After a while, too much stress from standing, walking, and sports related activities can cause an extra bony growth to form on the underside of the foot called a heel spur.
Unfortunately your heel spur may be here to stay since surgery is a delicate issue. And while pain medication can certainly help, it’s only a short term solution. At pt Health however, we’ve introduced another way to deal with heel pain with the Heel Spur Treatment Program.
Our unique approach treats painful inflammation while also breaking down calcium build- up manually.
Physiotherapy for heel spur pain treats inflammation while also attempting to break down calcium build- up manually. So instead of feeling like you’re on pins and needles all day, your feet are feeling just fine.
Heel pain comes in many varieties and sometimes it can be difficult to determine the exact cause. When it comes to Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs, both are the result of excessive stress being placed on the feet whether it be from running, walking, age, or other stresses.
Plantar Fasciitis
The plantar fascia is the long, thin ligament running along the bottom of your feet. And similar to heel spurs, pain can be felt the moment you stand on your feet after getting out of bed. The pain is stabbing, but dulls as the day goes on. Often, as is the case with runners, a tight calf muscle can cause plantar fasciitis.
Heel Spurs
Heel spurs are result from foot stress as the body heals itself with calcification at the point of injury. The feeling is similar to plantar fasciitis which is why the two conditions are often confused with one another. Both conditions can also co-exist at the same time. Many times, heel spurs do not cause any pain.
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Treatment Plan
Oftentimes high heels, bare feet, diabetes, obesity, sports, and age serve as precursors to developing heel spurs. But the condition can also be congenital as soft tissue pulls at the attachment to bone.
In order to conclusively diagnosis heel spurs an x-ray is needed. Oftentimes however, our physiotherapist can assess the condition by ruling out other problems and assessing your symptoms. Oftentimes we see patients with inflammation around the heel spur due to the plantar fascia pulling on the area. And while the spur itself will never truly go away without a sensitive surgery, it is possible to reduce new bone growth if the problem is caught in its early stages.
When you first visit pt Health for heel spur pain, your therapist will conduct an initial assessment which includes an analysis of your gait. For example, your therapist may discover more stress is being placed on the problematic heel or plantar fascia. They will also look at the strength around your ankle and then begin work on re-training your balance. Specific exercises will focus on strengthening the ankle and stretching the tissue areas of the foot.
Will My Heel Spur Ever Go Away?
Along with re-training, your therapist may also want to attempt to break down calcification using manual and ultrasound therapy. If your heel spurs are especially painful, your therapist may also suggest acupuncture treatment which can be performed right here at the clinic along with massage therapy.
Recovery Time for Heel Spurs
Because heel spurs are a chronic condition, prognosis can sometimes take upwards of four to twelve weeks before a patient is feeling better.
Heel Spur Education
Certain activities can perpetuate heel spur pain which is why your therapist will also provide education about activities to avoid including walking in bare feet and on hard surfaces. Both of these activities can be irritating to the heel spur. Additionally, your therapist will also asses you shoes and may suggest additional cushion such as orthotics and taping to give you some relief.

Coverage Options
At pt Health, we know that sorting out insurance paperwork can be time-consuming and confusing. We want your focus to be on getting well and staying well. With that in mind, we do our best to help you navigate through the necessary forms. We speak with your insurance providers and we’ll answer any questions you may have about your coverage.
- RCMP
- DND
- Canadian Forces
- Veterans Affairs
For any treatments that are only partially covered, you may be asked to co-pay the difference at each visit.