Retrocalcaneal Bursitis – Orthotics And Nutrition Work

Being told that you have retrocalcaneal bursitis may seem like a label that makes your head spin. The words alone are pretty scientific, but let’s break it down.

The calcaneus is the heel. Retro means the back part of something. And bursitis is the inflammation of the bursa sac inside a joint that prevents bones from rubbing on each other.

Retrocalcaneal bursitis is inflammation of the bursa that occurs at the back of the heel bone. There are actually two different bursae located at the back of the heel, one underneath the spot where your Achilles tendon meets the heel and one right underneath the skin and on top of the Achilles tendon. Both of these can become inflamed and then cause pain at the back of your heel and around your ankle.

You can actually start today to affect the amount of pain you feel by taking some beginning steps to include natural types of remedies for retrocalcaneal bursitis.

Clean Out Your Shoe Collection

Consider the idea that your shoes can be contributing to increasing the amount of pain you have from retrocalcaneal bursitis. Are you wearing high heels more often than usual? Are you wearing shoes that rub against the bursa at the back of your heel? Is it possible that you can wear a shoe style with an open back until the retrocalcaneal bursitis heals? Analyze your shoes in the closet to see which ones are contributing to the condition.

Add Orthotics to Your Shoes

Do the shoes you wear have the appropriate orthotics in them to remedy the situation? By adding orthotics very specifically made to decrease the amount of rubbing that occurs on the bursae, you can thereby decrease your pain. For example, a heel lift that raises your heel a few millimeters may be enough to relieve the pain. Do make sure you raise your heel in both shoes however; raising the heel in one foot will begin to create imbalances in muscles immediately.

Use Heel Cups

An orthotic with a heel cup is very important to keep your heel aligned in your shoes. Once the foot starts to deviate to the left or right during walking, that’s when other foot disorders occur.

Use Microcurrent Treatment

Find an alternative health care practitioner who administers microcurrent treatment. This type of treatment has been found to decrease the pain about 2 points on a pain scale based on 10 points. It also decreases inflammation that results with retrocalcaneal bursitis.

Use Ice

As difficult as it is to get out the ice pack five times a day, the point is that it will pay off. Remember to lay a few towel layers directly on the skin, and then add the ice on top, and add another towel on top of the ice pack. In this way, you’ll get a nice slow cooling that won’t shock your body in any way. It also prevents you from getting frostbitten from an ice pack directly laid on the skin. Your ice treatment should last about 15 minutes.

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