Ointments for the treatment of heel spurs are one of the most sought after 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 unimaginable 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 provide evidence that most people have this disease, but do not even suspect about their problem, since at the initial stage it is asymptomatic. And only when the disease manifests itself in full, 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 talk in more detail about the problem itself andmethods of its neutralization.
A few words about the disease
Plantary fasciitis - this is the diagnosis of most people who go to the doctor with complaints of heel pain and discomfort when walking. In the common people, this disease is called "heel spur" and it is treated mainly with ointments and creams. In particularly severe and advanced cases, doctors recommend surgery, but such situations are extremely rare and only in a small percentage of patients.
Doctors classify spurs as a 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. Calcium deposits are usually spur-shaped, hence the name of the disease. It is known that every year several million people turn to specialists with suspicions of plantar fasciitis. Most of the diagnosis is confirmed.
Interestingly, often a heel spur occurs for a number of reasons related to poor 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 Bechterew's disease often face a similar problem. Note that there are many such diseases and they make up an impressivelist.
Many are looking for reviews of ointments for heel spurs. However, without consulting a doctor is still not enough. After all, the abundance of drugs for 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 by symptomatology and through diagnostics.
Causes of disease
Find out if you are at risk should anyone who cares about their he alth and wants to keep it for a long time. By the way, it should be noted that there are a lot of reasons for the formation of spurs, and one of them is age. After fifty years, the tissues in the heel region are significantly thinner, and the fat pad is reduced. All this leads to bone deformity and plantar fasciitis. All people over the age of fifty are at risk.
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 have something in common) often suffer from heel spurs. Moreover, it is very difficult for this category of patients to get rid of them. Not all creams and ointments for spurs are suitable for diabetes. Therefore, they should 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 heels are also at risk. The choice of footwear plays an important role in the development of this disease, as addiction to cheap shoes with hard soles, uncomfortable insoles and other shortcomings causes calcium deposits and bone growths to form.
Listing the risk factors, it is impossible not to mention the longitudinal flat feet. This problem is one of the most obvious causes 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 incorrectly distributed to the tendons and ligaments. The result is pathology and then a spur.
Symptomatics
To start learning the names of heel spur ointments, it is important to make a correct diagnosis. And only a competent specialist can help with this. It is necessary to go to him when the first symptoms of the disease are detected.
Doctors divide them into several groups, depending on the stage of the disease. Therefore, be very attentive to yourself during ordinary daily activities and try to feel the threat at a very early stage. Usually at this time, a person feels a slight pain in the heel when walking or running. At times it hurts to stand with support on the heel of the foot. However, these symptoms occur from time to time and do not bring much discomfort.
At the second stage, the disease makes itself felt in the morning. While lying in bed, you feel pain in the heel. A little later, it passes and returns in the evening when you return home after a day's work.
If you do not pay attention to the problem, then soon you will becomefeel worse. Calcium deposition will take place at a faster pace, which means that the growth of the spur will be more intense. Pain will begin to occur much more often, and their characteristic feature is a period of rest. An attack can overtake a person while sleeping or watching TV on the couch.
If all of the above symptoms are ignored, plantar fasciitis progresses to the next stage. You will already experience pain constantly, and this will affect your gait. Many at this stage are switching to crutches, as they can no longer move without external support.
At the last stage, the calcaneal spur, as well as at the initial stage, does not manifest itself in any way. However, more and more often, swelling occurs on the foot, causing additional inconvenience. If no treatment has been carried out before this stage, then spur ointments will be useless. The specialist will recommend surgical treatments to restore the patient's previous quality of life.
Techniques for getting rid of spurs
Today, medicine can offer a wide range of methods and tools for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. Most common:
- laser therapy;
- ultrasound treatment;
- injections;
- surgery;
- treatment insoles.
However, all of these methods are prescribed only if various types of heel spur ointments are ineffective (we will give the names of the most famous drugs a little later).
Often, patients complain that the drugs prescribed by the doctor do notbring the expected result. They sort through different ointments for spurs and get upset because of the wasted money. Usually such situations arise when patients do not comply with the prescribed regimen. It plays an important role in the treatment process. Disciplined patients always benefit from the ointment purchased at the pharmacy for spurs on the heels. Remember that during treatment it is important to observe bed rest. You need to walk as little as possible and use crutches while moving.
At night, it is necessary to fix the foot in a certain position. And while walking, use special orthopedic insoles, and it is better to buy the shoes themselves 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 drugs 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 the spur. Reviews about them, by the way, patients leave generally positive. Therefore, you should not be afraid of such funds in the course of treatment.
Ointments for spurs on the heels sold in pharmacies allow a comprehensive approach to the problem. They have several effects, the most common being:
- painkiller;
- absorbable;
- warming;
- anti-inflammatory.
Due to the abundance of components, the ointment does notnot only relieve symptoms, but also help to get rid of excessive calcium deposits in the heel of the foot.
Treatment of the acute stage of fasciitis: the most common ointment
What ointments for heel spurs are most effective at a time when the pain does not allow you to forget about the problem for a minute? Everyone thinks about this, in whom the disease has passed into an acute stage. At this stage, it is necessary to choose drugs with a strong analgesic effect. In addition, they should have a softening effect on the build-up itself and thereby lead to an improvement in the patient's condition.
Among the large number of names of ointments, Russian patients are well known for "Indomethacin". 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 the sore spot three times a day.
There are a lot of reviews about this remedy and they emphasize a 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, so during the treatment it is impossible to reduce the size of the build-up.
Emergency Pain Care
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, it is necessaryunderstand that this drug belongs to the group of very strong. Therefore, it can be used only in the most urgent cases, when the pain is unbearable and other remedies 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 remedy
If you are unable to use expensive ointments and creams for heel spurs, then try a course of treatment with Vishnevsky ointment. It has been known for a long time, and its pronounced anti-inflammatory effect allows its use even in the most advanced cases of fasciitis.
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 build-up itself, so we can say that thanks to the remedy, only the symptoms of the disease are neutralized. Calcium deposits do not get smaller, and in some cases the growth may even increase in size. The disadvantages include patients and a very pungent smell coming from the ointment. Not everyone can feel comfortable with a product applied to the heel.
Hormonal remedy
Sometimes non-steroidal remedies do not provide relief from fasciitis. What to do in this case? How to treat a spur? Ointments in such situations must be chosen hormonal. Most often, experts recommend to their patientsHydrocortisone.
The main active ingredient of the ointment is a synthetic analogue of the human hormone. In the body, it is produced by the adrenal cortex and has 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 you need to apply the composition twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.
If you have warts or papillomas on your heel, then this ointment will have to be abandoned. You also need to remember that hydrocortisone, which is part of the product, tends to accumulate in body tissues. And re-treatment will be allowed only a few months after the first.
The best remedies for heel spurs
If you are looking for the most effective ointment for fasciitis, then pay attention to the Piatkaspor series. All preparations from this line have a natural composition, which allows them to be used until complete healing. In addition, they rarely cause an allergic reaction.
"Pyatkashpor reinforced" received more positive feedback on the Internet. The composition of the ointment includes components such as:
- medical bile;
- arnica;
- carnation;
- caffeine;
- lavender;
- mint and so on.
The product has a mild resolving effect, analgesic 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 product, you can noticeably reduce the size of the build-up 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 in two weeks your he alth will improve. In most cases, the growth decreases, which means that the pain syndrome stops. Usually the pain appears only after waking up in the morning. During this period, the doctor may change the treatment regimen. He will cancel strong ointments and prescribe products with a minimum amount of synthetic components.
They just can be used for a long time. Often, treatment lasts up to two months, but even after that it will be necessary to use special care products. One of the most effective ointments for the intermediate stage of treatment are turpentine. They have a strong irritant effect, so they are applied only with gloves and no more than twice a week. Turpentine ointments have a warming effect on tissues and effectively reduce the size of the growth. However, it is worth taking into account the fact that turpentine in the composition of the product often causes side effects, because the ointment has a lot of contraindications.
Herbal based products
After the acute phase of the disease, it is important to choose the right remedy for further treatment. Andthe best option would be ointments and creams with extracts from plants. Doctors most commonly prescribe the following medications:
- "Tiger Eye". The composition of the product 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 "Tiger's Eye" is not consumed very economically, 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 is an excellent disinfectant for the feet.
- "Pyatkaspor Regular". 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 cost-effectiveness of the cream.
With timely treatment of heel spurs, you can completely forget about the disease and regain your former quality of life.