How do healthcare providers diagnose heel spurs?

Heel pain that lingers can leave a reader in Elmwood Park wondering what an appointment would involve. How do providers actually reach a heel spur diagnosis?

How a heel spur is diagnosed

A provider usually starts with the foot and your activity history, and an X-ray is a common test. Cleveland Clinic says: "Healthcare providers typically examine your foot and ask about physical activity that might have caused your heel pain." It adds that x-rays are one of the most common tests that healthcare providers use to diagnose heel spurs.

What a thorough diagnosis includes

Two parts matter here. The exam looks at the foot itself, and the questions look at what you were doing when the pain began. Come ready to describe your recent running, work or lifting.

Imaging is named as one of the most common tests. A diagnosis that skips both the exam and the activity questions does not match this published description.

Before you step back up

Cleveland Clinic also says: "Healthcare providers treat heel spurs the same way they treat plantar fasciitis." So the reading list for heel spurs includes the NHS page on plantar fasciitis and OrthoInfo's page on plantar fasciitis and bone spurs.

Write down your activity history before your visit. It is the part of the diagnosis only you can supply.

How to check a diagnosis

A good diagnosis can be checked against the published steps. Ask what was examined, what was asked and which test was used.