Today, heel spur is a more common disease than it was before. There are various methods of treating this pathology, and one of them is an heel injection with a heel spur. In this article we will look at what this ailment is and also find out with the help of which medications and treatment methods you can get rid of it. Carefully read the information provided in order to arm yourself and protect yourself as much as possible.
What is heel spur?
Before you begin to understand how an injection in the heel with a heel spur is done, it is worth understanding what this ailment is. According to experts, heel spur is an inflammatory disease that affects the ligaments, muscles and tendons in the heel region and leads to degeneration processes in them. The more this disease progresses, the more likely there will be a compaction of surrounding tissues. This phenomenon is called fibrosis. In this case, the pathology takes a very long time. The first few years, the patient may not even be aware of its presence.
An heel injection with a heel spur is a truly effective treatment method. However, it will only make sense if it was done by a highly qualified medical professional.
The mild symptoms of this disease begin to bother many people after the age of thirty. However, not all of them will complain about the presence of severe pain. Moreover, most often representatives of the beautiful half of humanity turn to medical institutions with severe pain.
The main causes of this ailment
A heel injection with a heel spur is the most optimal treatment for this disease. Consider what reasons can provoke its occurrence:
- The presence of longitudinal flat feet. Most often, it is this factor that causes the appearance of spurs on the heel.
- Various injuries of the lower extremities, the presence of which can lead to the fact that a person will not receive an even load on the feet.
- Stretching of the ligaments of the foot, as well as the knee joint and ankle.
- The disease can also occur under the systemic influence of factors such as wearing high-heeled shoes, long standing work, excessive physical activity.
- Also, metabolic disturbances in the body that have a negative effect on blood circulation in the lower extremities can lead to the disease.
- Another very common cause of this pathology is considered to be excessively large body weight. Women with large overweight very often complain of severe pain in the heel, and all because the feet have a very large load.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
The very first and main symptom of this pathology is severe pain in the heel. At the same time, in some cases, the pain can be bearable even during strong physical exertion or, conversely, terrible even at rest.
If a person suffers from this disease, his gait completely changes. Due to severe pain in the heel area, the patient begins to take care of this area and tries not to step on it, transferring the entire load to the socks. And this leads to the fact that discomfort spreads to the entire lower part of the leg.
Do I need to give a heel injection with a heel spur?
As you know, the plantar of the leg has connective tissue, called fascia in medicine. It can be found from the calcaneus to the toes. It is able to inflame, and if such processes do not begin to be eliminated on time, then the tissues will begin to be actively saturated with calcium salts, which will lead to the formation of a growth. In medicine, such a growth is called osteophyte.
Most often, pain in a person in the presence of a spur occurs precisely when walking or when performing any movements, accompanied by a load on the calcaneal region. In fact, this disease is not difficult to cure. According to reviews, an heel injection with a heel spur is done in very extreme cases, provided that the pathology is started so that it simply does not lend itself to other methods of treatment.
Features of the treatment method
In order to get rid of such an unpleasant ailment as quickly as possible, it is very important to find an integrated approach to treatment. For this, doctors usually prescribe these methods to their patients:
- The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs intended for external use. These include various gels and ointments (Voltaren, Diclofenac, Nise), as well as plasters (Ketonal Thermo, Nanoplast).
- It is also very important to regularly undergo physiotherapy procedures that can stop inflammatory processes in the right place.
- It is very important to wear special insoles. Such a device will help significantly minimize the load on the heel area.
Heel injection with heel spur is usually used only in cases where all tried conservative methods have not given a positive therapeutic effect. Injections are able to cope even with the most neglected cases.
In no case do not treat heel spurs on your heels yourself. So you can make your situation worse. Be sure to contact the hospital already in the presence of the first pain. The sooner you start treatment, the greater the likelihood that conservative methods will be quite enough for you.
Blockade method
Blockade in the heel with heel spur is an injection method for the treatment of this pathology, based on the introduction of active drugs in a damaged place. This method of treatment is very effective. It gives positive results in almost all cases. Here, a lot depends on the professionalism of the doctor who will give you this injection.
According to reviews, blocking the heel with a heel spur is a very painful procedure, since the active substances will be introduced into the damaged area through the thick skin on the heel. That is why this manipulation takes much longer than an ordinary injection injected into the soft tissues of the body.
In order for this procedure not to be so painful, the doctor will introduce along with the active medicine under your skin and painkillers. Usually, lidocaine is used for these purposes. However, if the patient has allergic reactions, another anesthetic will be prescribed. Typically, the dosage of the drug is half a milliliter. Before leading it into the heel, the contents of the syringe shake well. This must be done in order to mix active and analgesic substances.
The most effective drugs
According to reviews, heel injections with heel spur are really very effective, but at the same time quite painful. There are several effective drugs that doctors most often use in their practice. Moreover, all of them are made on the basis of hormonal components. Consider the most popular of them:
- An injection in the heel of "Diprospana" with heel spur is a very effective anti-inflammatory agent of steroid origin. This medicine really very quickly relieves the patient of the symptoms disturbing him. That is why it is so popular. The main feature of this medication is its ability to accumulate in a damaged place, so the drug is able to provide a more lasting effect.
- Kenalog is also considered a fairly effective tool. The drug perfectly suppresses inflammatory processes, and also stimulates the activity of the immune system and has anti-allergic effects.
- Another medication is Hydrocortisol. This tool perfectly eliminates inflammatory processes, as well as swelling.
Most often, it is enough for patients to make only one injection, and after that the inflammatory processes will disappear, and with them painful sensations. However, for some patients, a single heel injection with a heel spur is not enough, so doctors do several procedures. It is impossible to say exactly how many injections you have to do, since each case is individual, and therefore requires an individual approach to treatment.
Possible complications after injection
If you are still prescribed treatment for heel spurs with a heel injection, seriously look for a qualified health professional who can do this procedure as efficiently as possible. After all, there is a risk of complications after it, namely:
- At the injection site, inflammatory processes may occur, which will be accompanied by purulent discharge.
- Also, the occurrence of inflammation in the calf muscle is not excluded.
- If the needle was inserted incorrectly, this can lead to the death of tissue in the damaged area. Doctors are most afraid of this phenomenon.
What are the disadvantages of using this treatment method?
The name of the heel injection in the heel spur will be selected by the doctor, taking into account the individual characteristics of your body, as well as the nature of the course of the disease.
Do not forget that injections designed to eliminate inflammatory processes are made on the basis of synthetic hormones, and they, in fact, are not very useful for the human body.
According to the doctor, only two injections of any drug will be effective. Then the body simply gets used to the medicine, which means that there will simply be no sense from subsequent injections. If we use drugs based on cortisol, which is a hormone produced by the human body, then our body will stop producing our own hormone. And this can result in serious consequences.
If a person is bothered by a heel spur, then treatment with injection methods will help to establish his lifestyle. However, given the painfulness of the procedure, as well as its negative effect on the body, this method is used extremely rarely. This is done only after all methods of conservative treatment have been tried.
How to continue treatment after injections?
If you want to achieve the maximum therapeutic effect from the use of an injection method of treatment, be sure to take additional measures. In the complex, it will bring you a wonderful and quick healing effect. Be sure to seize the moment after the injection. Even if you notice that the pain and inflammation recede, do not overthrow the treatment process. Use products intended for external use, as well as orthopedic insoles. Choose the most effective drug with your doctor. Only in this case can we count on positive results.
Features of the procedure
In no case do not ignore a disease such as calcaneal spur. Pain in the heel with an advanced form of the disease can be so strong that you simply can’t walk normally. The most advanced forms of the disease lead to constant painful sensations that arise depending on motor activity.
The blockade procedure should only be performed by a highly qualified surgeon or orthopedist. Indeed, in this case, the result will depend on the professionalism of the doctor. Only an experienced specialist will select for you the most optimal medication, and also determine where you need to enter the medicine, and at what depth to insert the needle. It is very important to determine all parameters with maximum accuracy.
Before the injection, the affected area is disinfected with an antibacterial agent, and then the injection itself is made. The drug will be injected into the most painful place on the heel, which is why this procedure will deliver so much pain to the patient. The medicine will be administered under the supervision of an ultrasound machine. This is done so as not to damage the tendon, and to introduce the therapeutic substance as accurately as possible.
Are there any contraindications to this procedure?
Since all drugs are based on synthetic hormones, the injection method of treatment is prohibited for pregnant and lactating women, as well as people suffering from serious metabolic diseases. In particular, diabetes should be included here. Very carefully, treatment should be carried out in the presence of serious pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
Before the procedure, it is necessary to inspect the area where the injection will be administered. If there is damage on the skin, then this procedure will have to be transferred until the skin is completely restored.
Prevention
What heel injections for heel spur are right for you, your doctor will tell you. Once again, it is worth repeating that self-medication in this case can be extremely dangerous. Heel spur is a chronic disease, so there is a great chance that it will reappear after a course of treatment. However, your health is in your hands. Be sure to follow all the recommendations given to you by your healthcare provider. This will be the main path to victory.
Avoid heavy heel loads. Reduce walking, as well as physical exercises that require serious workload in this area. Use special insoles that help reduce the load on the heels. You can buy them without any problems at any pharmacy.
Good results are exerted by foot massage, as well as gymnastics. However, consult a doctor before performing them.
Reviews about the treatment of heel spurs with heel injections are quite controversial. Of course, the effect after the injection is present. However, after some time, the pain may return again. Therefore, again, you need to start all treatment again, but injections are very painful.
Take care of your health right now so that you do not encounter such an unpleasant pathology as the heel spur. Be healthy and take care!