“Is dipping feet in hot water with Epsom salt supposed to help my heel spurs?”
I am suffering from severe heel spurs that leave me in a lot of pain, particularly in the mornings and by the end of the day. Should I try dipping my feet in hot water with Epsom salt or is there any other way to deal with heel spurs?
17 Answers
Be careful not yo burn yourself. Warm water will relax the muscle and ligaments. But ice fir short few minutes after. Hot and cold therapy may help.
Soaking your feet will not help with a heel spur. You need to be icing and stretching your feet on a daily basis. You may need some type of arch support to help support your arch.
Salt water soaks are therapeutic and may help with the symptom, but severe heel pain usually requires a more aggressive and directed treatment plan involving rest, immobilization, taping, physical therapy, stretching, orthoics. See your podiatrist
If you have been diagnosed with heel spurs the most important thing is to get the professional opinion of the physician who made the diagnosis. Soaking her feet in hot Epsom salts may relieve some of the discomfort but will not help the heel spurs
There is no clinical significance to Epsom salt water soaks to help heel spurs. In fact, hot water should not be used due to burn risk. I would recommend ice for 20 minutes at the end of your day. As always, seek a professional evaluation.
Ahmad Farah, DPM
Ahmad Farah, DPM
It is more likely you have plantar fasciitis. Better to see a Podiatrist for the condition. You can try ice and Motrin and stretching exercises. A Podiatrist can get you orthotics and physical therapy. The spur does not cause the pain it is the plantar fascia
You can certainly soak your feet, it may feel good to soothe your tired sore feet. With plantar fasciitis (what people used to call heel spurs) stretching, icing, good supportive shoe gear, and at times anti-inflammatories are what will help. It does not go away over night though. See a podiatrist if it persists.
No. Hot water and epsom salt are not typically helpful. Please see your podiatrist who will get you relief
Hot water and Epson salt might feel good but will do nothing to alleviate your heel spurs. Try stretching your arch by pulling your toes toward your nose and wear a shoe with 1/2 to 1 inch heels. Seeing a Podiatrist would be your best move..
Sometimes Epson Salt and warm water foot soaks can help to relieve tendonitis, or muscle pain in the feet. However, I don't think if will help your heel spurs. If you have heel spurs then you must have plantar fasciitis (arch and heel pain). The best treatment is orthotic therapy. The plantar fasciitis, heel pain syndrome, and heel spurs are due to possible abnormal subtalar and mid-tarsal joint pronation on closed kinetic chain ambulation and weight bearing. Treatment of choice: "Power Step Orthotics", avoid barefooted ambulation and weight bearing; icing the affected area of the arch and heel in the evenings for the treatment of pain and inflammation. Also, a night splint may help to sleep in to help stretch the tight plantar fascia. Tylenol may help to relieve the pain and inflammation. Do not take more that 8 tablets per day or take any other medications containing acetaminophen. If you don't noticed any improvement make an appointment with a podiatrist to be evaluated and treatment of you foot condition
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but soaking your feet in Epson salt’s has virtually no effect on plantar fasciitis. The solution does not penetrate through the skin and although warm water me feel good it has no effect on the pathology.
Again may I suggest an arch support from the Dr. Scholl’s kiosk and if that is not effective then a visit to a foot and ankle orthopedist or a podiatrist would be in order.
Again may I suggest an arch support from the Dr. Scholl’s kiosk and if that is not effective then a visit to a foot and ankle orthopedist or a podiatrist would be in order.
First heel spurs are a symptom of biomechanics of the foot. Spurs don’t hurt. Like black and blue marks that is where it hurts but not the reason.
Epsom salts just spends your money. It is of no value for this.
Hot water increases inflammation although while doing it it feels better.
Treatment is
A) roll on a frozen ice bottle (not tennis ball)
B) do calf stretching exercises (the real cure)
C) try contrast baths. Soak in ice water for 1 min followed by Luke warm water for 3 min and repeat for 20 min.
D) purchase a Dorsal night splint on line
E) purchase Power Steps on line
F) if no improvement after 30 days then go to a podiatrist for Rx meds and an injection.
Epsom salts just spends your money. It is of no value for this.
Hot water increases inflammation although while doing it it feels better.
Treatment is
A) roll on a frozen ice bottle (not tennis ball)
B) do calf stretching exercises (the real cure)
C) try contrast baths. Soak in ice water for 1 min followed by Luke warm water for 3 min and repeat for 20 min.
D) purchase a Dorsal night splint on line
E) purchase Power Steps on line
F) if no improvement after 30 days then go to a podiatrist for Rx meds and an injection.
While the Epsom salt foot soaks will help with the swelling, they will not correct this condition. The history of her problem sounds consistent with plantar fasciitis and could be properly diagnosed and treated by a podiatrist in your area. The good news is that plantar fasciitis can often be effectively treated with conservative (non-surgical) measures including stretching, ice, oral anti-inflammatories, cortisone injections, orthotics and changes in shoe gear. Thank for your question!
Soaking in Epsom Salts is good really for only 1 thing-helping to dilute and drain an infection (for example: if you had an ingrown toenail that was infected). Otherwise, the heat from the water can help with the pain, but this is really "Plantar Fasciitis," and has nothing to do with the spurs. I have answered a plantar fasciitis question in the past in very strong detail, so look for that article/response on my page. Really, for inflammatory problems, such as this, it is better to ice to decrease inflammation than to use heat/hot water. Soaking regularly in Epsom Salts and water will dry your skin out and help you little
Heel spurs can be very painful. Heel pain is usually secondary to inflammation of the plantar fascia (ligament the encompasses the bottom the foot). Epsom salt and warm water may help to relieve tension in the musculature of the foot, but there is no evidence that it helps with healing. The immediate things that can be done to relive pain include arch supports, anti-inflammatory medication, cortisone injections, icing, stretching, and rolling the foot over a roller, ball, or frozen water bottle. Seeing a podiatrist is always important to rule out other common reasons for heel pain and have a focused plan to treat it.
Warm water may help relieve your discomfort, but will do nothing for the heel spurs. Sometimes, it may not be the heel spur that is causing you your pain. There is a ligament known as your plantar fascia that could have inflammation and causing some of your pain. Treatment options are physical therapy (stretching), injections, inserts (orthotics) steroids and or surgery. Hope this helps.
Typically, people that have pain in their heels first thing in the morning or after prolonged activity suffer from a condition called Plantar Fasciitis (http://www.capitalregionfootcare.com/heel-pain). Heel spurs do not cause the pain, it's due to the inflammed tissue around the heels that causes the symptoms. Soaking in epsom salts will not resolve the problem. Typically, plantar fasciitis needs to be treated with focused plantar fascia specific stretches (which you can find online), rest, and possibly anti-inflammatory medications. This is a condition which does not go away overnight and needs diligent treatment and care to resolve.
