What are calcium deposits on your foot?

Answer 1

Heel Spurs

Symptoms A heel spur is a bony, pointed extension at the heel, visible only through an X-ray. Bone spurs can occur anywhere, but those that appear at the heel are most common. They are not usually painful, but a sharp, stabbing *pain is felt with pressure above the spur or upon walking

Causes Bone spurs are due to faulty calcium deposits that occur in areas burdened with long-term improper use and overuse. Many people with heel spurs have flat *feet, are overweight and suffer from other musculoskeletal-related problems, including *Arthritis, *tendinitis and *neuritis. They often occur in middle age

Nutrition Eat nuts, raw wheat germ and whole grains, especially millet and oats, for silica, magnesium and phosphorus, which promote calcium absorption and help prevent faulty deposits. Flax seed oil is a natural anti-inflammatory. Rolled oats are a particularly good source of silica and should be eaten daily as porridge or a Swiss breakfast muesli. Drink black cherry juice for base minerals which are often lacking in people suffering from heel spurs. Avoid sugar, coffee and alcohol, which upset mineral balance. The mucopolysaccharides are also called the chondroitin sulfates. They are found in many different seafoods, especially mussels. If you are not a lover of seafoods or prefer a vegetarian lifestyle, supplementation is an option.

Nutritional Supplements Bone spurs can be prevented and effectively treated with calcium and magnesium supplements. A proper balance of these nutrients prevents abnormal calcium deposits from forming. The digestive enzyme betaine HCl helps the body absorb these nutrients.

Natural anti-inflammatory supplements which may be of help are whole leaf, cold-processed aloe vera juice, glucosamine sulfate, shark cartilage, bromelain, evening primrose oil, and kelp.

In more difficult cases, intramuscular injections of B complex vitamins, especially vitamin B12, and magnesium sulfate are worth trying, or oral vitamin C pushed to bowel tolerance doses.

Daily Dosage * Calcium, 1,200 mg

* Magnesium, 600 mg

* Glucosamine sulfate, 500 mg daily

* Bromelain, 2 capsules between meals

* Evening primrose oil, 500 mg

* Kelp, 1 tsp. daily

* Vitamin C, to bowel tolerance Herbal Remedies

* Rose hip and horsetail tea help to heal and rebuild tissue. Add 1 tsp. of herbs to 1 cup of boiling water, steep for ten minutes, strain and drink 1 cup three times daily.

* Add arnica and camomile infusion to foot baths.

* The yellow pigment of turmeric is called curcumin. In some studies it has been reported to be equally effective as cortisone without any of the associated side-effects. The usual effective dose of curcumin is 500-1,000 mg three times daily on an empty stomach for about six weeks. Homeopathy An experienced homeopath can offer a more exhaustive treatment of a persistent condition to achieve lasting results

Tissue Salts For relief of specific symptoms and causes, see these related sections: arthritis, feet (flat), neuritis, pain and tendinitis

External/Physical Therapies * Alternating hot and cold foot baths are helpful.

* Apply a flax seed hot pack to relieve the *pain.

* Wear shoes with rubber heels and place special heel cushions in shoes to ease discomfort. Reflexology

* Work the area with gentle pressure, as much as can be tolerated, with a circular motion daily. It might take many months of treatments to remove the crystallized calcium deposits, but with time and perseverance there will be noticeable improvement. Other Suggestions

* If the problem fails to improve with diet change or supplementation, one should also consider the possibility of food allergy, digestive enzyme insufficiencies, especially hydrochloric acid, and assimilation problems. A nutritional doctor or naturopath can order a comprehensive digestive and stool analysis, food allergy tests, or other tests for nutritional status to find the source of the problem. Available Brand Name Products:Nutritional Supplements

* Auxima Liquid Organic Magnesium (Inno-Vite)

* Magnesium Complex (Klaire Laboratories) Available Brand Name Products: Other Nutritional Supplements

* Aloe Vera Gel (Nature's Herbs)

* Glucosamine + Chondroitin Sulfate (Natural Factors) Available Brand Name Products: Herbal Remedies

* FloraSil (Flora)

* Horsetail Leaves (Flora)

* Ginger Root Extract (Natural Factors)

* Ginger Root (Nature's Herbs)

* Kelp (Norwegian) Combination (Nature's Herbs)

* Licorice Phytosome (Nature's Herbs)

* Silica-Power (Nature's Herbs)