Heel spurs occur for the same reasons as plantar fasciitis. Runners, people who are engaged in high intensity sports, those who are overweight, people with faulty foot mechanics such as flat feet or low arches, and people who wear worn out shoes are most at risk for developing these conditions.
Both are caused by an overstretching of the plantar fascia resulting from these risk factors. However, while plantar fasciitis always causes pain in the heel, heel spurs are usually not painful. They are often an incidental finding that goes along with a plantar fasciitis diagnosis. The most important thing is to get treated for the risk factors that created these problems to eliminate the pain.
Learn more about how we treat heel spurs in our office.
