It’s easy to overdo it in the heat of a South Carolina summer, but as the weather cools and more people head outside to work out, overdoing it can be just as much of a problem. If you dive into your activities at full force, you could end up with heel spurs—a build-up of calcium deposits under your heel—and after a long summer of laying low, that’s the last thing you need! You want to get out there and enjoy yourself, right?

Heel Spurs and Plantar Fasciitis

Luckily, there are things you can do to avoid the problem. Heel spurs are frequently associated with plantar fasciitis, an overuse injury. This occurs when the band of connective tissues that runs from your heel bone to the balls of your feet becomes inflamed. It is most often seen in those who participate in activities that include a lot of running and jumping. The constant stress can result in a heel spur, a hook of bone that protrudes from the heel bone where the plantar fascia attaches.

So what should you do? First of all, stop running and jumping so much! Cut back on your activities, especially those done on hard surfaces. Take a load off from time-to-time, too. Spending most of the day on your feet can lead to problems. Also, make sure you have good shoes that fit well, and look into orthotic inserts to help distribute weight evenly and correct gait abnormalities.

Contact Our Offices For Help With Heel Spurs

You might not even know you have a heel spur—it’s the plantar fasciitis pain that will get to you! So be sure to take a gradual approach to exercise, warm up well, and stretch. This should reduce your risk of damaging your plantar fascia, which in turn decreases your chances of getting a heel spur.

For more information, call Carolina Podiatry Group, Inc. in SC by dialing (803) 285-1411 for our Lancaster office or (803) 548-FEET for Indian Land.