Common Causes And Risk Factors Of A Heel Spur

Tearing The Membrane Covering The Heel Bone

The heel bone is covered by a protective membrane. While tearing through the membrane once usually isn't enough to cause a heel spur, since heel spurs develop slowly over multiple months, if individuals repeatedly suffer injuries to this membrane, they're more likely to develop a heel spur. There are twenty-six total bones in the foot, and the heel bone is the largest.

The foot also has thirty-three joints and over one hundred ligaments, muscles, and tendons. When individuals tear away the lining that protects the heel, they open it to calcium deposits that can develop into a heel spur. If individuals also have repeated muscle strains or ligament sprains alongside the lining tears, they're even more likely to develop a heel spur.