Heel Spur Exercises

With outdoor exercise, a step of prevention is worth miles of cure

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — With the warm weather picking up, many Staten Islanders are itching to get outdoors and in shape for bathing suit season. But doing too much too fast, wearing the wrong sneakers and not allowing the body to rest can lead to injuries if feet and ankles are not treated with some TLC.

“A rule of thumb is if you feel a little twinge of pain, back off right away,” said Amanda Tripodi, a personal trainer, runner and member of the Staten Island Athletic Club (SIAC).

“It’s better to lose one or two days of running than two or three weeks or months. The pain will eventually stop you from continuing a program.”

She’s faced various foot injuries including heel spurs (extra bone on the heel), plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the tissue on the foot bottom) and Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of tendon in the bank of the ankle). With each misstep, she’s learned how to avoid these pains while continuing with the sport she loves.

But it’s not necessary to be a seasoned athlete to avoid injuries.

Runners at any level should wear running or walking sneakers, both of which are designed for forward motion, said podiatrist Dr. Jacqueline Sutera, spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association.

She sees more injuries like stress fractures and tendonitis (inflammation in foot and ankle tendons) this time of year in her Manhattan and Emerson, N.J., practices.

“Right now, everyone is on an exercise kick,” said Dr. Sutera.

Those engaging in other outdoor activities or a gym routine without much running — like aerobics classes — should consider cross trainers, which work well for lateral, or side-to-side movements. There are also sneakers specifically designed for sports like basketball and tennis.

RESPECT YOUR SPORT

Cycling shoes for bicyclists or avid spin class attendees are also available. They feature a rigid sole so the bottom of the foot doesn’t bend as much, Dr. Sutera said, and may also feature clips that hook onto the pedal, keeping the foot in place.

“You really have to respect your sport,” she said. “It costs a lot to invest in these shoes, but later you can have arthritis, tendonitis, stress fractures or heel spurs — and some of these are hard to reverse.

Heel Spur Treatment?What You Should Know | Heel pain treatment ...

A heel spur is a condition where there is an excess deposit of calcium on the calcaneal bone, forming hooks that look like spurs. They can be uncomfortable and painful. People of all ages can have spurs. However, this is most common among middle-aged individuals. If one is suffering from this condition, here are some effective tips and ideas for heel spur treatment.

Before deciding to do something about your calcaneal pain, it is important to know the causes of this condition. Knowing the reason why you are suffering from this discomfort is an important part of the whole treatment process. Basically, people who put too much stress on their heels are the ones who develop heel spurs. Those who love wearing high heels or those who are a little on the heavy side are people who are prone to acquiring this excruciating condition. To prevent or treat this abnormal bone growth, here are some tips and ideas.

•  One very important tip for heel spur treatment is to lose weight. People who are overweight add much more stress on their lower extremities. Their legs and feet have to bear the heavy weight of their body. If a person weighs about 200 pounds or more, they are more likely to develop a calcaneal spur. Losing weight is not only good for the feet. It is also beneficial to your overall health and physical condition.

•  Another way to treat heel spurs is to stop wearing high heels. High heels are very stressful to the heels of the feet and ankles. If you cannot stop wearing them because you need to wear them in the office or something, you should at least wear them sparingly. One can wear flat shoes while commuting and just wear the heels once they are in the office.

• If one loves to go to the gym and do some exercises, it is important to do some warm ups first before engaging in strenuous physical activity. Take the extra time to bend the knees, rotate the ankles, or curl the toes for your warm up exercises.

•  You should also not wear slippers or shoes that are too flat. It is important that your heels are a little higher than your toes. You can add a protective cushion in your shoes to raise your heels.

These are some very simple but useful guidelines for heel spur treatment. Make sure that you keep them in mind to treat your heel spur problem.

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