Heel Spur Treatment Adelaide
If an X-ray has shown a heel spur, you’ve likely been told it’s the cause of your pain. In most cases, it isn’t. The spur is a finding — the pain comes from damage to the plantar fascia where it attaches to the heel bone. Understanding this distinction can help guide a more targeted management approach.
At Adelaide Heel Pain Clinic our experienced podiatrists assess the underlying contributing factors and causes of heel pain, not just the imaging findings.
What is a heel spur?
A heel spur (or calcaneal spur) is a small bony growth that forms on the underside of the heel bone, where the plantar fascia attaches. It develops gradually as the fascia repeatedly pulls on the bone, prompting the body to lay down extra calcium at the attachment point.
Heel spurs are common. Many people have them and never feel a thing. They are visible on X-ray but are not, in themselves, painful structures.
Adelaide Heel Pain Clinic proudly offers quality heel pain treatment to residents of North Adelaide, Eastwood, Parkside, Glenside, Frewville, Fullarton, Dulwich, Toorak Gardens, Malvern, Highgate, Myrtle Bank, Bowden, Brompton, Prospect, Sefton Park, Walkerville & surrounding suburbs.
Why heel spurs are not the cause of your heel pain
For decades, heel spurs were blamed for painful heels — and surgeons routinely removed them. The procedure did not consistently improve symptoms. Patients still had pain afterwards, and that’s how the profession learned the spur wasn’t the problem.
The heel pain usually comes from irritated soft tissue around the spur, including degenerative changes in the fascia, known as plantar fasciitis or, more accurately, plantar fasciosis. Heel pain and heel spurs often coexist because they share similar mechanical causes — chronic strain on the plantar fascia attachment.
Treating the spur without treating the fascia is why so many cases of “heel spur pain” become chronic. A long-term follow-up study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine found that in patients with established plantar fasciitis, the risk of still having symptoms was 50% at 5 years, 46% at 10 years, and 44% at 15 years from the onset of pain. ( Hansen L, Krogh TP, Ellingsen T, Bolvig L, Fredberg U. Long-Term Prognosis of Plantar Fasciitis: A 5- to 15-Year Follow-up Study of 174 Patients With Ultrasound Examination. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2018;6(3). doi:10.1177/2325967118757983)
Early, targeted treatment matters.
At Adelaide Heel Pain Clinic our experienced podiatrists assess the underlying contributing factors and causes of heel pain, not just the imaging findings.
Symptoms commonly attributed to heel spurs
The symptoms patients describe as “heel spur pain” are almost always plantar fasciosis symptoms:
- Sharp pain or stabbing pain under the heel area with the first steps in the morning
- Pain that eases after walking, then returns after periods of rest
- Worsening pain at the end of the day or after prolonged standing
- Tenderness on the inside of the heel when pressed
- Pain that returns or intensifies after exercise
If this matches your experience, the underlying issue may be related to soft tissue irritation contributing to heel pain — regardless of what your X-ray shows.
What causes heel spurs to form?
Heel spurs develop in response to mechanical load. Common contributors include:
- Foot mechanics — flat feet, high arches, or abnormal gait patterns that increase fascial tension
- Activity load — running, prolonged standing, or sudden increases in training volume
- Footwear — unsupportive shoes, worn-out runners, or rigid work boots
- Body weight — increased load through the heel
- Age-related tissue changes — reduced fascial elasticity over time
- Tight calf muscles — increasing pull through the Achilles and plantar fascia
These same factors commonly contribute to ongoing heel pain. Addressing these factors may assist with management of both symptoms and ongoing mechanical strain.
Heel Spur Treatment
Our approach is diagnostic first. Imaging tells us a spur exists, but it does not always explain the source of your heel pain. Assessment focuses on identifying that.
Treatment is matched to the stage and severity of your condition and may include:
Biomechanical assessment and orthotic therapy
Computerised gait analysis identifies the mechanical drivers behind the fascial overload. Where indicated, we prescribe custom made orthotics and shoe inserts — either onsite European-engineered devices or 3D laser-scanned designs — to redistribute load and reduce strain on the plantar fascia attachment.
Footwear assessment and advice
The wrong shoe can undo every other element of treatment. We assess your work, walking, and training footwear and provide specific recommendations based on your foot type, activity, and current symptoms. Footwear modification and properly fitted shoes is a commonly recommended management strategy.
Strapping and taping techniques
Targeted low-Dye and modified low-Dye taping, augmented soft tissue (AST) taping, and calcaneal taping techniques offload the plantar fascia immediately and are often used early in treatment to assess orthotic responsiveness and may assist with short-term symptom management.
Diagnostic Ultrasound
Injections are performed under real-time ultrasound guidance to support precise needle placement and visualisation of surrounding structures.
Low-level cold laser therapy
Low lever cold lasser therapy can be used as part of a multimodal management approach.
AI Computerised Treadmill Gait Analysis
We perform a four page report from our Computerised Gait Analysis in-conjunction with a physical biomechanics assessment to set up your treatment regime.
Prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
Regenerative injection therapies aim to stimulate healing in the damaged fascia rather than suppress inflammation. Unlike corticosteroid injections — which can provide short-term relief but carry risks of fat pad atrophy and fascia rupture with repeated use — prolotherapy and PRP target the underlying tissue pathology and may be considered in some chronic cases following clinical assessment. Suitable for chronic, treatment-resistant cases.
Shockwave therapy (radial and focussed)
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is commonly used as part of heel pain management. We offer both radial and focussed (focal) shockwave, with the modality selected based on tissue depth, chronicity, and presentation.
Rehabilitation and strength programming
High-load strength training and foot muscle rehabilitation have been widely studied in heel pain management. We use the AxIT muscle strength testing system to objectively measure deficits and progress.
Dry needling and foot mobilisation therapy
Where calf tightness, trigger points, or restricted joint motion are contributing factors, these techniques address them directly.
Surgery is rarely necessary. Many patients experience improvement with a structured conservative management program and treatment modalities.
When to see a podiatrist
If heel pain has persisted for more than two weeks, is interfering with work or activity, or has returned after previous treatment, book an assessment. Chronic heel pain can sometimes become more difficult to manage than acute presentations — earlier assessment may assist with management.
Gap Free Heel Pain Assessments*
We offer a GAP FREE ASSESSMENT* for heel pain under your health insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can heel spurs go away on their own?
The bony spur itself does not resolve without surgical removal — but this rarely matters, because the spur is not the source of pain. When the underlying plantar fasciosis is appropriately managed, symptoms may improve while the spur remains present and asymptomatic.
Should heel spurs be surgically removed? In the overwhelming majority of cases, no. Decades of clinical experience and research have shown that spur removal alone may not improve symptoms in all cases. Surgery is reserved for rare, refractory cases after conservative treatment has been exhausted.
How long does treatment take?
Some patients may notice changes within 6–12 weeks of starting an evidence-based program. Chronic or long-standing cases may take longer. Your podiatrist will give you a realistic timeline at your assessment.
Does walking make heel spurs worse?
Walking doesn’t worsen the spur itself, but it may aggravate the underlying source of heel pain if the mechanical cause hasn’t been addressed. Supportive footwear, taping, and orthotic therapy may assist patients in remaining active during management.
Will an X-ray confirm I have a heel spur?
Yes — heel spurs are visible on standard X-ray. However, the presence of a spur does not confirm the cause of your pain, and the absence of one does not rule out plantar fasciosis. Diagnosis is clinical.
Are PRP and prolotherapy injections safer than cortisone?
Prolotherapy and platelet-rich plasma injections work by stimulating the body’s natural repair response in damaged tissue, rather than suppressing inflammation. Corticosteroid (cortisone) injections can provide useful short-term pain relief but carry recognised risks including heel fat pad atrophy and, with repeated injections, plantar fascia rupture. For chronic plantar fascia damage, regenerative injection therapies may be considered as part of management in selected chronic presentations.
Is heel pain treatment covered by private health insurance?
Podiatry consultations are claimable under most private health funds with extras cover. We also offer a gap-free initial assessment for eligible patients with podiatry cover.
Please watch the below video to find out the Truth About Heel Spurs:
Ultimate 7 Step Checklist to Heal Your Morning Heel Pain
Ultimate 7 Step Checklist to Heal Your Morning Heel Pain
Book Online in less than 60 Seconds
Easily book an appointment at Adelaide Heel Pain Clinics in less than 60 seconds by selecting a location, practitioner, date and time from our online booking portal. Same day appointments are available.