Heel spurs are a secondary consequence of plantar fasciitis and develop when long standing inflammation of the plantar fascia causes the deposition of calcium at the point where the plantar fascia inserts into the heel. The appearance on X-ray is of a sharp thorn like ‘spur’.

The heel spur itself never is the cause of an individual’s heel pain; instead heel spurs are generally only painful when they are associated with plantar fasciitis. As such treatment focuses on treating the underlying plantar fasciitis. If the spur is large orthotic devices can be modified to provide cushioning, thus preventing overweighting on the damaged area.