People who are suffering from the effects of heel spurs deal with pain whenever they try to walk or if they stand for long periods. The pain intensifies, if the affected individual is barefoot or wearing shoes or sandals with thin soles.
Heel spurs occur due to the formation of calcium deposits on the heel bone, otherwise known as “osteophytes.” These spurs are around a quarter of an inch long, and they aren’t visible during the early stages of their development. However, if left untreated and unmanaged, heel spurs may grow to the point where they are visible as small bumps on the heel of your foot.
Doctors treat heel spurs using medication to manage swelling and pain symptoms. The situation is chronic, and due to the complexity of the nerves and joints in the foot, many doctors are hesitant to operate on the affected heel.
Here are eight home remedies to help you deal with managing your condition at home.
1. Change Your Diet
The first home remedy for reducing your heel spurs – is changing your diet to eliminate inflammatory foods. Refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and flour create inflammation in the intestinal walls, increasing inflammation in the digestive system.
This systemic inflammation spreads to every other region of the body – including the bones and soft tissue. Inflammation dramatically increases symptoms of pain and swelling associated with heel spurs. Changing your diet to include fewer carbs and more sources of healthy fats, whole grains, and sprouts will go a long way to reducing your symptoms of heel pain.
We recommend adding fish oil to your diet to reduce symptoms of inflammation further. Fish oil contains the Omega-3 fatty acids known as DHA and EPA. Both of these compounds have excellent anti-inflammatory properties that prevent the occurrence of systemic inflammation.
Reduce your consumption of alcohol and sugary soda, and drink more alkaline water. Alkaline water reduces the acidity in your body, preventing inflammatory disease.