Ointments for the treatment of heel spurs are one of the most popular remedies in the world. This disease gives a person a lot of unpleasant sensations, which over time lead to the fact that every step causes unthinkable suffering. Most often, women suffer from heel spurs after a period of years, but men who are overweight or who run or jump are also at risk.
Doctors give evidence that most people have this disease, but do not even suspect their problem, since at the initial stage it is asymptomatic. And only when the disease manifests itself fully, a person has to urgently look for means to get rid of pain and other unpleasant symptoms. Most often, such patients, when contacting a doctor, are prescribed ointments for spurs. They have several varieties and in most cases carry out an integrated approach to the treatment of the disease. Today we will give several names of spur ointments and tell in more detail about the problem itself and methods for its neutralization.
A few words about the disease
Plantar fasciitis - such a diagnosis is made by most people who go to the doctor complaining of heel pain and discomfort when walking. In common people, this disease is called a “heel spur” and is treated mainly with ointments and creams. In especially severe and neglected cases, doctors recommend surgical intervention, however, such situations occur extremely rarely and only in a small percentage of patients.
Doctors include spurs in the group of bone and muscle pathologies. In short, the disease is directly the deposition of calcium on the lower part of the calcaneus. Sometimes this growth can reach one centimeter and cause serious inconvenience when walking. Typically, calcium deposits are in the form of a spur, whence the name of the disease originated. It is known that every year several million people turn to specialists with suspicions of plantar fasciitis. Most of the diagnosis is confirmed.
Interestingly, heel spur often occurs for a number of reasons related to improper diet, lifestyle and regular wearing of uncomfortable shoes. However, in some cases, it is a symptom of more serious changes occurring in the human body. For example, with arthritis, patients feel pain in the heel of the foot and are constantly in search of an effective ointment for spurs. Also, people suffering from ankylosing spondylitis are often faced with a similar problem. Note that there are many such diseases and they make up an impressive list.
Many people are looking for reviews of ointments for heel spur. However, consultation with a doctor is still not enough. After all, the abundance of drugs from plantar fasciitis does not allow the patient to personally choose an effective remedy. In addition, it is important to understand at what stage the disease is. This can be done according to the symptoms and by conducting a diagnosis.
The causes of the disease
Anyone who cares about their health and wants to keep it for a long time should find out if you are at risk. By the way, it should be noted that there are many reasons for the formation of spurs, and one of them is age. After fifty years, the tissues in the heel area are significantly thinning, and the fat pad decreases. All this leads to bone deformation and plantar fasciitis. The risk group includes all people who have reached the age of fifty years.
If you are diagnosed with pathologies associated with circulatory disorders, then be prepared for the appearance of spurs. People suffering from excess weight and diabetes (often these two problems overlap) often suffer from calcaneal spurs. Moreover, this category of patients to get rid of them is very difficult. With diabetes, not all creams and ointments for spurs are suitable. Therefore, they need to be purchased only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Athletes should also expect the development of plantar fasciitis. It often occurs with heavy loads on the feet, injuries, bruises and sprains.
Women who prefer to wear high-heeled shoes are also at risk. The choice of shoes plays an important role in the development of this disease, as the addiction to cheap shoes with a hard sole, uncomfortable insoles and other shortcomings becomes the cause of calcium deposition and the formation of bone growths.
Enumerating risk factors, it is impossible not to mention longitudinal flatfoot. This problem is one of the most obvious reasons for the development of plantar fasciitis. It is diagnosed in ninety percent of people with flat feet. Doctors explain these figures by the fact that with this deviation, the load is not correctly distributed to the tendons and ligaments. As a result, a pathology occurs and then a spur.
Symptomatology
To begin to study the names of ointments for calcaneal spurs, it is important to correctly diagnose. And only a competent specialist can help with this. Going to him is necessary when identifying the first symptoms of the disease.
Doctors divide them into several groups, depending on the stage of the disease. Therefore, be very attentive to yourself during everyday everyday activities and try to feel the threat at an early stage. Usually at this time a person feels a slight pain in the heel when walking or running. At times, it is painful for him to stand resting on the heel of the foot. However, these symptoms occur from time to time and do not bring much discomfort.
In the second stage, the disease makes itself felt in the morning. While lying in bed, you feel pain in the heel. A little later she passes and returns in the evening, when you return home after a hard day.
If you do not pay attention to the problem, then soon you will begin to feel worse and worse. Calcium deposition will take place at a faster pace, which means that spur growth will go more intensively. Pain will begin to occur much more often, and their period of rest becomes their characteristic feature. An attack can overtake a person while sleeping or watching TV on the couch.
If all these symptoms are ignored, plantar fasciitis passes to the next stage. You will already experience pain constantly, and this will affect the gait. Many at this stage are moving to crutches, as they can no longer move without external support.
At the last stage, the heel spur, as well as at the initial stage, does not manifest itself externally. However, more and more edema occurs on the foot, causing additional inconvenience. If treatment was not performed before this stage, then ointments from spurs will be useless. The specialist will recommend surgical treatment methods to restore the patient's previous quality of life.
Spur Disposal Techniques
Today, medicine can offer a wide selection of techniques and tools for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. The most common are:
- laser therapy;
- ultrasound treatment;
- injections
- surgical intervention;
- healing insoles.
However, all of the above methods are prescribed only when identifying the inefficiency of various types of ointments from heel spurs (we will give the names of the most famous drugs a bit later).
Often patients complain that the funds prescribed by the doctor do not bring the expected result. They sort out ointments of different composition from spurs and are upset because of the wasted money. Typically, such situations arise when patients do not comply with the prescribed regimen. It plays a significant role in the treatment process. Disciplined patients always get the effect of ointment from spurs on their heels purchased at the pharmacy. Remember that during treatment it is important to observe bed rest. You need to walk as little as possible and use the crutch support as you move.
At night, it is necessary to fix the foot in a certain position. And while walking, use special orthopedic insoles, and the shoes themselves are best purchased in specialized stores.
Features of local treatment
Ointments against spurs have a different composition and are mainly divided into two categories: steroid and non-steroid. Initially, the doctor prescribes those funds that do not contain hormones. In the early stages of the disease, they can be very effective. If the result is not achieved, then you can switch to hormonal ointments from spurs. Reviews of them, by the way, patients leave positive in the general mass. Therefore, do not be afraid of such drugs in the treatment process.
Ointments from spurs on the heels sold in pharmacies allow a comprehensive approach to the problem. They have several effects, most often these are:
- anesthetic;
- absorbable;
- warming;
- anti-inflammatory.
Due to the abundance of the components, the ointments not only remove the symptoms, but also help get rid of excess calcium deposits in the heel of the foot.
Treatment of acute stage of fasciitis: the most common ointment
What are the most effective ointments from heel spurs during a period when the pain does not allow you to forget about the problem for a minute? Everyone who has the disease has passed into an acute stage is thinking about this. At this stage, it is necessary to choose funds with a strong analgesic effect. In addition, they should have a softening effect on the growth itself and thereby lead to an improvement in the patient's condition.
Among a large number of names of ointments, Indomethacin is well known to Russian patients. This tool is available to a large number of our compatriots due to its low cost. The course of treatment with ointment is one month, during which it is necessary to apply it to a sore spot three times a day.
There are quite a lot of reviews about this tool and they emphasize the pronounced analgesic effect. In parallel, the ointment has an anti-inflammatory effect and quickly eliminates swelling on the foot. However, the ointment does not give a softening effect, therefore, during the treatment it is impossible to reduce the size of the growth.
Emergency Pain Relief
Pain during the development of fasciitis can be very severe, so it is important to quickly stop the pain caused by a spur on the heel. What ointment will help to cope with this problem? Doctors in most cases recommend Diclofenac to their patients.
However, you need to understand that this drug belongs to the group of very strong. Therefore, it can be used only in the most emergency cases, when the pain is unbearable and other means do not help. It is important not to exceed the duration of the established course of treatment with Diclofenac. On average, it is seven days. In very rare cases, the doctor allows you to extend the use of the ointment for three days. According to the instructions, no more than eight grams of the product can be applied to the sore spot. The minimum dosage is five grams.
The most affordable tool
If you are unable to use expensive ointments and creams for calcaneal spurs, then try the course of treatment with Vishnevsky ointment. It has been known for a long time, and its pronounced anti-inflammatory effect allows the use of fasciitis even in the most advanced cases.
However, this drug has many disadvantages. First of all, the ointment relieves pain only for a short period of time. In addition, it does not affect the growth itself, so we can say that thanks to the tool only the symptoms of the disease are neutralized. Calcium deposits do not become smaller, and in some cases, the growth can even increase in size. The minuses include patients and a very pungent smell coming from the ointment. Not everyone can feel comfortable when the heel is applied.
Hormonal agent
Sometimes non-steroidal drugs do not bring relief in fasciitis. What to do in this case? How to treat a spur? Ointments in such situations, it is necessary to choose hormonal. Most often, experts recommend Hydrocortisone to their patients.
The main active ingredient in the ointment is a synthetic analogue of the human hormone. In the body, it is produced by the adrenal cortex and gives a wide therapeutic effect. Thanks to the hormone hydrocortisone, you can get rid of pain and itching. In parallel, the substance has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Do not forget that the ointment has a long list of contraindications and possible side effects. You can use it for no more than one week, while applying the composition twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.
If you have warts or papillomas on the heel area, then you will have to refuse this ointment. You also need to remember that hydrocortisone, which is part of the product, has the ability to accumulate in the tissues of the body. And repeated therapy will be allowed only a few months after the first.
The best remedies for heel spurs
If you are in search of the most effective ointment for fasciitis, then pay attention to the Pyatkashpor series. All drugs from this line have a natural composition, which allows them to be used until complete healing. In addition, they rarely cause an allergic reaction.
More positive feedback was received on the Internet by Pyatkashpor Reinforced. The composition of the ointment includes such components as:
- medical bile;
- arnica;
- cloves;
- caffeine;
- lavender;
- mint and so on.
The product has a mild absorbable effect, anesthetic effect, relieves inflammation and swelling. Many write that the ointment moisturizes the skin very well and is absorbed almost instantly. With prolonged use of the drug, you can significantly reduce the size of the growth and forget about the heel spur for a long time.
We select the drug for the recovery period
If you apply the ointment correctly and follow all the doctor’s recommendations, then after two weeks your health will improve. In most cases, the growth is reduced, which means that the pain syndrome is stopped. Usually the pain appears only after waking up in the morning. During this period, the doctor may change the treatment regimen. He will cancel potent ointments and prescribe drugs with a minimum amount of synthetic components.
They just can be used for a long time. Often, treatment lasts up to two months, but after that it will be necessary to use special care products. One of the most effective ointments for the intermediate stage of treatment is turpentine. They have a strong irritating effect, therefore they are applied only with gloves and no more than twice a week. Turpentine ointments have a warming effect on the tissue and effectively reduce the size of the growth. However, it is worth taking into account the fact that turpentine in the composition of the drug often causes side effects, because the ointment has a lot of contraindications.
Herbal based products
After undergoing the acute phase of the disease, it is important to choose the right remedy for further treatment. And the best option would be ointments and creams with extracts from plants. Doctors most often prescribe the following drugs:
- "Eye of the Tiger". The composition of the drug is distinguished by an abundance of components that neutralize inflammatory processes, promote tissue regeneration and normalize the water-fat balance of the epidermis. However, it should be borne in mind that the Tiger's Eye is not very economically consumed, and one tube lasts no longer than ten days.
- "Golden mustache". This tool can cause allergies in some categories of patients and has a weak absorbable effect. However, it has a warming effect and perfectly disinfects the feet.
- Pyatkashpor Usual. The product contains a lot of substances, among which propolis, urea, apple cider vinegar and Emu oil deserve special attention. The drug does not cause allergies, so it is calmly used for two to three months. It is noteworthy that one tube is enough for a long time, which indicates the economy of the cream.
With timely treatment of heel spurs, you can completely forget about the disease and regain your old quality of life.