History and mechanical control of heel spur pain

Abstract

The symptom of heel pain from heel spur syndrome has both a cause (abnormal pronation) and an effect (inflammation at the heel spur area). I believe that heel spur syndrome cause and effect can best be treated mechanically by a two-stage approach. This two-stage approach uses a different orthotic for each stage. The first stage is to prescribe an orthotic to alleviate the cause through control of abnormal pronation by posting or wedging, and also to alleviate the effect by local accommodation and shock absorption of the inflamed area. The second stage of mechanical treatment is begun after the effect (local inflammation) has subsided. This second stage consists of treatment with a rigid functional orthotic to treat only the cause. This orthotic is more durable and controlling and will therefore maintain the patient and prevent abnormal pronation from occurring. Thus, the cause of pain at the heel spur area will be eliminated. Orthotics can be a great adjunct to treatment of heel spur syndrome. But, as is the case with any other method you use to treat your patients, orthotics are only as good as the theories on which you base them. There are a variety of excellent materials and computerized methods being used today for fabrication of orthotic devices, but they are only as effective as the knowledge on which you base them. If you do not understand the etiology of the mechanical problem and do not observe what treatment is successful and the reasons behind this success, the orthotic you prescribe is not going to have a high level of success, regardless of new materials or technology. You will be like the laboratory technician who can fabricate an orthotic, but cannot predict, with any level of confidence, whether it will alleviate the mechanical problem.