First Lady Michelle Obama shares tips on parenting with moms and other audience members in a WebMD Town Hall meeting in Miami, Florida.
Information and Resources
Heel spurs
Heel spurs are small, bony growths on the underside of the heel bone. They usually are less than a quarter of an inch (6 mm) long, but they may be longer.
- Most spurs do not cause weight-bearing problems when the person stands or moves.
- In the past, experts thought that heel spurs caused heel pain and plantar fasciitis.
There is now some disagreement about heel spurs:
- Some experts believe they may occur with plantar fasciitis but are unrelated to it. Others believe they cause heel pain, and some believe they are a natural result of aging.
- In general, heel spurs are believed to be the result of the process of plantar fasciitis development, not the cause of it. They may occur due to inflammation and to the pulling of the plantar fascia on the heel bone.
Doctors agree that the appearance of heel spurs on an X-ray does not by itself mean that a person needs surgery. Some people have heel spurs and no pain; others have heel pain and no spurs.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
July 16, 2009
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor.
Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this
information.
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Top 12 Health Topics-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.
-
11.
-
12.
Top 12 Videos-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.
-
11.
-
12.
Hot Topics
- Which Drugstore Tooth Whiteners Work Best?
- Kids' Top 6 Worries and How to Fix Them
- Surprising Headache Triggers
- Safe Ways to Lose Weight Fast
- Counting Carbs When You Use Insulin
- Fibromyalgia: Symptoms and Treatments
- CML: How It Affects Your Body
- 6 Sex Mistakes Men Make
- Dupuytren's Contracture: What You Need to Know
- Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
WebMD Video: Now Playing
FROM CBS NEWS
Third of malaria meds from Asia, Africa are fake
Almost half of malaria medications in southeast Asia and over a third from sub-Saharan Africa were packaged poorly, including some expired drugs that had been repackaged
More from CBS News:
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Advertise With Us|WebMD Corporate|Medscape Reference|eMedicineHealth|RxList|Medscape|MedicineNet|BootsWebMD
©2005-2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.