[YEA]  06/05/2006: Carol from Jacksonville, FL: "Take Alfalfa Tea several times a day for first 4 wks, then only 3-4 times a wk will be sufficient. Was recommended to me by a co-worker. Works great:)"

Apple Cider Vinegar Wrap

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Apple Cider Vinegar Wrap for Heel Spurs

Home Health Treatment

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Cloth or Bandages

Soak a cloth or a bandage in apple cider vinegar and apply this to the sore heel. You can leave this wrap on for several hours. If you like, place a plastic bag around both the heel and cloth to sleep with the treatment on at night. The pain should recede quickly and the underlying condition should be gone within a few weeks of daily treatment.

[NAY]  10/22/2008: Man from FC, CO replies: "I have had horrible plantar fasciitis pain for year now and have tried everything. My latest attempt was taking ACV too, and it didn't seem to help at all. Other people seem to think it did the trick. I wish I knew a cure. I had to give up running and it's painful to walk."

05/24/2009: Dolly from Everett, WA replies: "I had Plantars Fascitis for a couple years. I used shoes with high arch support, a sandal made in the US, Chaco sandals. I never walked without them in my house even. After a few months it finally went away. It came back a year later, mildly. I made sure to walk only in the shoes indoors too. All gone now. No problem w/ fascitis for 5 yrs. The other problem I found was using a shovel in your garden. DON'T use your foot to press the shovel down.. that is the ultimate insult to the fascia! DO stretch your feet w/ straps, or standing on your toes, like you're reaching for a top shelf, or standing at the edge of a step and stretching your foot that way. Best wishes."

09/11/2011: Lou from Tyler, Tx replies: "I wrapped my feet with ACV soaked flannel overnight in a plastic gallon sized zip-lock bag on each foot. It gave me much relief. I wore Spenco orthotics ($40) in athletic shoes most of the summer. Target has some dress shoe orthotics that are clear and thinner (for when you are better) to wear with wedgies. My foot doctor recommended I wear wedge-heel shoes to support the arch."

10/22/2008: Man from FC, CO replies: "You did this every night and slept with it like that for 6 nights and the pain went away? Did you wrap it in a plastic bag too?"

[YEA]  06/24/2011: Mary from Escanaba, Mi replies: "I am a foot reflexologist and I have been having pain in my heel from what I believe is a heel spur. I had been working on my feet and enduring the pain as I did not want to have cortizone injections. I started wrapping my heel with an ace bandage soaked in ACV. I also starting taking it orally 2 T daily as I have read many other benefits of ACV. Also, a huge plus, the wrap on my heel took away all the built up callus. I am going to wrap my other foot as well!"

09/01/2012: Emmi from La Joya, Texas, Usa: "Hello, Just want to say I tried the ACV with Mollases and Baking Soda for the first time today and the taste is awfull. I have been suffring with a heel spur for over 3 months and I am in so much pain that I was willing to try anything so I tried this I will see how it goes."

01/07/2013: Aaron from Edinburg, Tx. replies: "Just wondering how the solution of apple cider vinager, honey & baking soda worked for you."

03/16/2009: Lorraine Gallegos from Alamosa, Colorado, USA replies: "Hi- I just read the information you posted regarding the ACV, Molasses, & baking soda recipe for heel spurs, and I am going to start it immediately right now, since I have had a hard time walking due to my heel spur and aching ankles, and leg cramps. But the person who posted this didn't say how long and how often during the day or so to take this treatment. Could you please e-mail me and let me know. lorraine"

03/22/2009: Lauren from Sacramento, CA replies: "Lorraine,

I would also like to know how many times per day and for how long they used this treatment, as I also have painful heel spurs and want to try it. If you find out, will you please post the answer here for me? I'd SO appreciate it.

Thanks.

Lauren "

08/11/2009: Mike from Ocean Springs, Ms replies: "I am going try the avc molasses and baking soda treatment for heel spurs how long do you take it?"

[SIDE EFFECTS]  11/30/2009: Trudy from Drumbo, Ontario replies: "I really don't suggest the ACV/molasses/baking soda remedy. Just tried it this morning and it worked like a laxative. I was very sick/nauseous for several hours and after about 30 mins of taking it, had terrible diarrhea."

09/07/2010: Debra Mitchell from Largo, Fl replies: "For the person who had a bad reaction - you probably just shocked your system. I bet if you did try again with a much smaller amount & slowly build up you'd be alright. ACV cures so many things. I bet it is all you need, mixed with water. Good luck."

[YEA]  06/07/2011: Carol from Keller, Texas replies: "I don't know if I have a heel spur or planter fasia, but I read some of your remedies and I just tried organic apple cider vinegar by rubbing and massaging it on my heel and the side of my foot. It is so much better and I didn't have any problem walking when I first got out of bed this morning. I am in no pain and it feels great."

08/16/2011: Roro from Okeechobee, Florida replies: "I am sending this info to my son who is suffering from a heel spur and will update as to how well it performed."

10/03/2011: Shellys70 from Fords, Nj replies: "I just got diagnosed with a heel spur. I'm in pain and I refuse to get shots or surgery. I bought the Apple Cider Vinegar this afternoon- pray for me this works. I teach boot camp and am a personal trainer this would destroy me.. Prayers please trying it tonight. I will update you all. Thanks.."

[YEA]  02/03/2012: Joan from South Riding, Virginia Usa replies: "Around April 2011, while doing heavy exercises, I got what I thought was another bout of plantar fasciitis. I tried stretching my foot and my calf. I tried homeopathic remedies. I tried 12 weeks of acupuncture. I tried Chinese herbs. While many of these reduced the pain for a while, none took it away. In December 2011 my chiropracter suggested that plantar fasciitis does not last that long and perhaps it was a heel spur. I had my foot x-rayed and, lo and behold, there was a heel spur identified.

I immediately began researching "Natural Heel Spur" remedies and can upon the Earth Clinic site. I read this post about ACV, molasses and baking soda, as well as MSM, and began them all the first week of January. I also added calcium/magnesium supplements. After about a week the pain was subsiding. After two weeks, I stopped taking the Chinese herbs. It was about that time that I stopped adding molasses to my ACV/baking soda beverage. Then I stopped the MSM, as I was feeling lightheaded whenever I took it.

By the end of Week 3, my heel spur was nearly gone. I could push on the area and feel it was slightly tender. By Week 4 (last week), my heel spur was gone. Vanished. Melted away. My foot no longer has the feeling of walking around with a nail stuck in it. While I have to be careful while my foot gets stronger, I can walk short distances without pain. ACV is a lifesaver. ACV works, if you give it time. I believe the way to distinguish between Plantar Fasciitis and a heel spur is the difference between foot pain and feeling like a nail is in your heel. The nail/heel pain signals a heel spur. Try it, and good luck!"

[YEA]  05/16/2012: Ruthie from Winchester, Kentucky replies: "Worked wonders for me, I can walk again!!!!"

05/16/2012: Kris Maxwell from Mooresville, Nc replies: "Creatine does wonders. My heel hurt on and off for the better part of 8 years. And I read that creatine could possible help you lose weight, so I started taking the minimum dose. It didn't help the weight loss; only a low carb diet and lots of exercise. But my heel stopped hurting. Then my sweet little Bichon torn what is similar to our ACL, and my vet said the surgery would be $2,000. During my research, I read on the internet it is likely the other would tear, and then a rapid form of arthritis would probably set in. So because it was also a ligament, I gave him creatine. 2 years later he walks and jumps fine. He isn't 100%, but probably 83%. Not really bad for an 8 year old dog.

By the way I also read a lot of the smaller breeds were tearing ligaments because of early neutering. It seems they need those sex hormones to develop strong ligaments. But my heel and Max's knee are virtually healed because of the creatine. Only pure creatine nothing else added."

09/20/2012: Al from Alvena, Sk., Canada replies: "I have heel spurs in both feet and do not have any pain from them. X-rays show that they come down about a quarter of an inch and go forward about an inch and a quarter at a quarter of an inch thick. They did not show how wide. I spent twenty years as a steel fabricator standing/walking on concrete floors in hard soled safety boots as well as time in the military. I used to have heel pain. I am wondering if I should be concerned about them as I have no heel pain at all from them."

[YEA]  07/18/2012: Deb from Claremore, Oklahoma: "I was recently diagnosed with Plantar Fascia. I have suffered with the pain for almost two years. A friend of mine told me that if I took about 7-9, B-12 pills a day, it would very likely help. Well, I didn't have anything to lose, so, I started taking, about 7 of the 1000 mg B-12 pills from Walmart, throughout the day and within three days I noticed I was pain free. I still take two B-12 pills each morning, and after 1 month, I am still pain free. Thank the Lord!!!"

[YEA]  10/26/2006: T from Denver, CO: "My husband used to have a heel spur, but it completely went away after he started wearing boots a lot. Apparently the back of your shoe can irritate your heel and cause a heel spur, but not so with boots because they go all the way up the back of your calf."

05/22/2009: Amanda from Cleveland, Ohio replies: "Hi, that sounds like a terrific and simple remedy, but I wanted to point out that the condition that you are describing is not a heal spur. Heal spurs are on the under side of the foot and are due to prolonged cases of plantar fasciitis in which the fascia becomes detached from the bone and a little bump of bone grows in its place. It is the damage to the fascia that causes the pain, not the bone spur itself."

05/22/2009: Amanda from Cleveland, Ohio replies: "Hi, that sounds like a terrific and simple remedy, but I wanted to point out that the condition that you are describing is not a heal spur. Heal spurs are on the under side of the foot and are due to prolonged cases of plantar fasciitis in which the fascia becomes detached from the bone and a little bump of bone grows in its place. It is the damage to the fascia that causes the pain, not the bone spur itself."

11/09/2012: Cubuwu from Cordoba, Spain replies: "Not a heel spur? What do I have then? I have a big lump on the back of my heel, at the top of the heelbone. My achilles tendon rubs over it and everytime I sit down it gets really stiff. I can hardly walk! I've read through most of the comments and I don't think any of them will work for me. This has developed WHILE I was taking a daily shot of ACV and Turmeric. I also take 3mg of creatine daily. I want to stop this pain because it's driving me mad. Its getting so bad that I dream about being able to doing sports which involve impact X)"

04/12/2012: Jason from Los Angeles, Ca: "Thank you so much Ted, I did the borax foot bath for my heel spur and its so much better after just 24 hours..."

06/01/2012: Mrsl from New York, Ny/usa replies: "How much Borax did you use in the bath?"

09/03/2012: Marcia from Washington, Dc replies: "I am on day 6 of borax soaks and I have cut down from 1/2 cup in the foot soaker to about 1/4 cup."

09/03/2012: Xkels81 from Grand Blanc, Mi replies: "I'm wondering the same thing? How much Borax do you add to how much water? How often? Thanks!"

[YEA]  11/25/2012: Alex from Hawthorne, California replies: "I want to thank this community for the information provided on the use of the Borax soaks for heel spur pain.

I went through 9 months of plantar fasciatis generated from heel spurs as it turns out. I tried orthotics, heel cups, new shoes, ibuprofen, ice, heat, pulse massager, and copius amounts of beer (beer not necessary, I know).

Untill one day when I read this board and said, "what could I possibly lose". I bought borax, powdered 20 mule team, poured warm water into a container and plenty of powder. never measured, I was just not hesitant to add.

24 hours later, I was better. 2-3 days into it I could feel something happenning as my foot soaked. I was so far gone that it's taken 9 - 10 days of soaking but i'm finally awaking pain free and I feel but a little sting every now and then.

I will continue to wrap and cushion my arch and my heel, as well as soak until it's all gone. Happy soaking all!!"

01/16/2013: Sandra from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada replies: "Haha Alex from Hawthorne. I too have tried all those things - (except the beer). I tried wine, but it has not worked.... So will give Borax a try and hope for the best!!"

[YEA]  07/29/2009: Bimal Kanal from Shanghai, China: "Heel Pain / Spur

I have suffered acute heel pain caused by a condition described as heel spur since 2004.The treatment which has given me 99% relief was very simple which unfortunatley was introduced only in 2009 by a sports medical specialist.

The person needs to wear a night brace on the foot for a period of time. I wore it for one month before i coild see any improvement. The nigh brace is available in large pharmacies. This costed me HKD150 only.

secondly, please meet a podiatric specialist in a hospital and get the insouls for yr shoes. These in souls are specialy made and cannot be purchased over the counter. These are expensive as i paid HKD 2500 for a pair.

Thirdly, there are two simple excercises that should be done. One is to sit on the floor and stretch yr legs. Take a towel and put it accross yr toes of the foot and pull the toes towards yrself.

the second excercise is to stand against the wall with one foot forward and strech the second leg which is at the back.

The logic here is that from the spine to the heel the flexibility should be improved.

A lot of rest is needed for acute case as the heel is swollen in some cases."

08/15/2009: Kelly from San Francisco, Ca replies: "I've been suffering from acute plantar fasciitis for about 5 years now. I've tried stretches, exercises, ice, and APC with very little luck, so I finally started on cortezone injections, which only had minimal short term effect. I've recently tried an arch band that has helped exponentially. I can't name the brand, but I found it on a dancer supply website.

It's a fabric band that you wrap around your arch. It has a velcro tab that sticks to the fabric, so it's highly adjustable. Attached inside the fabric is a triangular hard foam pad that acts as an insole... even in sandals or bare feet! You buys a pair of them, but I have extremely high arches, so I double up on the foot the I have the most problems with. They're washable, but the fabric tends to break down a bit over time.

I wear them 24/7, except when I'm in the shower, and I've gone from not being able to walk on my heel at all, to being able to get up in the middle of the night with only minimal pain. I've been using them for about 1 month now and, though they haven't taken all the pain away, I can walk somewhat normally now."

07/12/2010: Mnj from Northern Illinois, Il/usa replies: "I have been struggling with this heel deal for over a month now. Have done the icing, taken advil for reducing inflammation, reduced my exercise, gotten better shoes, etc. And it was showing little to no improvement. Found a website that said that people with high arches or flat feet tend to suffer from this and a light went off. Went to the local pharmacy and found an arch wrap like you described. ($5. 99) It is made of stretchy material of about 2" wide and fits snugly around my arch. I can walk with no shoes if I have that on. I think the arch support is key to this issue. Or least it is for me. I made a similar wrap around my arches with medical tape before walking this am and that helped relieve some pressure from that exercise."

[YEA]  06/20/2012: Bern from Sydney, Nsw, Australia: "Some years ago I developed a pain, mainly in the heel area, on both my feet. I was unable to walk for more than half an hour without feeling excruciating pain. It was so bad, I was on my hands and knees crawling. On visiting the doctor, I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. To cut a long story short, I took calcium supplements over a number of months and the pain disappeared. The calcium pills I took are very strong so I caution everyone to be careful of the dosage they take. Other than that, I would recommend heel spur sufferers to take calcium supplements (with Vit D to help absorption) to get rid of this ailment. Hint: constantly look at the health of your nails to see whether your calcium intake is lacking/adequate/too much and vary your intake accordingly."

[NAY]  05/30/2012: Sheryll from Dallas, Texas replies: "I have been taking 1000 mg of Calcium/day for several years as I have a family history of osteoporosis. I have recently developed moderate heel spurs on both feet, as well as bone spurs on my wrist and along the spine. The bone spurs are thought to be a result of psoriatic arthritis. Calcium has not prevented them."

05/30/2012: Lita209 from Sanford, Fl, Usa replies: "Sheryll from Dallas, Texas: I am sorry to hear about your heel spurs. I can only tell you about my own experience. I spent near 8 months with a heel spur on my left feet. It was painfull in the mornings and every time I would sit for a while, it was painfull when I got up. The only solution I kept hearing was surgery and I didn't want that. So I remembered this website from when my cat was sick and I learn about ACV to cure his uti (which by the way worked! ). So when I searched for heel spurs I was surprised that it also suggested ACV. Also to take calcium, but with magnesium to help the calcium absorption and retention and Epsom salt/baking soda baths. Sheryll I can honestly tell you it worked for me. I did the baths at least 3 times a week and the ACV and calcium/magnesium everyday. This was around 3 or 4 years ago so I don't remember how long it took for me to feel the difference but it was not long. Try it and have faith. Good luck and good health to you."

05/30/2012: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "The problem is not calcium but probably the type of calcium you are taking. Calcium taking in supplements is mostly "inorganic" meaning that the body cannot assimilate it. It may be made up of crushed up oyster shell! How is that going to assimilate into the body. Also pasteurisation of milk detroys most of the calcium there as well so they add it back in.

You are better off juicing lots of fresh vegetables (mostly greens) and carrots. These both contain lots of calcium and it is "organic" calcium that your body can use. They will also contain magnesium so you get the proper calcium: magnesium ratio. Wheatgrass juice is also excellent as is chlorella and spirulina.

Research "organic" and "non organic" vitamins or "heme" and "non heme" .. There is a difference. I no longer take supplements because many are not what the body can assimilate."

05/30/2012: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "I also wanted to mention that heel spurs are in fact caused by a calcium deficiency. Unless you supplement your diet with "organic" calcium you will have more problems later down the track including arthritis and osteoporisis."

02/19/2013: Doux from Battlement Mesa, Colorado replies: "It is really good to see so many positive comments about using Calcium with Vit-D, ACV mix and Borax soak for Heel Spurs, and from my understanding, caused by Plantar Faciitius.

I started having complications with heel pain, in both my feet back in Aug 2012. It didn't dawn on me, at first, that I had a serious problem. I kept on running and doing my kickbox/step workouts etc (over 23 yrs) thinking the pain would soon subside. How wrong I have been.

by Spring of 2012, I had recovered from a work related back injury that kept me from working out at a consistant regimen. So, when I was released in March 2012, I jumped full force back into kickbox and step workouts. By Sept 2012, I knew I had a pretty serious problem, but caulked it up Plantar Faciitis that would soon heal with some shoe inserts.

By Nov 2012, working out has almost come to a screeching halt, except for days I felt "I gotta workout, " and boy do I pay for it. I finally went to see a podiarist that x-ray shows bone spurs in both heels. I immediately opted for Cortizone shots, only to relieve the pain and because I do computer tech work, I have to be able to walk and carry computer printer, etc.

Probably not the best impression that I felt immediate improvement and thought I was cured. And, again, I jumped full-force back into working out and did a 5k Turkey Trot. No pain, no gain - right! Wrong... I gained more heel pain in coming weeks. December '12, Jan and Feb '13 have been excruicating. Adding insult to injury, I even ordered Shaun Ts Insanity and gritted my teeth through the first week and a half... then I knew I had to send back.

It probably doesn't help with added high-levels of stress, anxiety and seasonal depression that I feel. Ontop of the fact that I have been cursed into being sedintile for "how long?" It depresses me even more to think I may never get to enjoy another aerobic workout. Though, I do have my spinner bike and outdoor bikes I can ride.

I too, have felt this creeping curse go into my ankles and I have spent hundreds on inserts for HS and PF and arch supports. The thing is, I have always stretched after a workout, including a good pre-workout warm-up. But, the advice I get from co-workers and family, etc is to stretch the calves, use a rolling pin, use tennis balls to roll your feet, use ice, use heat (alternate), use ibuprofen, use a towel to stretch more, stretch stretch and stretch again. Sometimes, I hurt worse after doing the additional stretching for the HS/PF.

None of this has helped, and I'm so frustrated. But, I have noticed at times, that I have good days - where I don't feel so much pain in my heels and I'm thinking, ah-haa, finally I'm on the road to recovery. Then I workout and bam, back in the saddle of heel pain again.

I haven't been able to put my finger on what is creating my good heel days. Could this good feeling be from after I have been religiously taking my Vit-D, Omegas, post-menopause vitamins, and more? My fingers are crossed that maybe, just maybe, I have a calcium deficiency, and maybe, just maybe the ACV will help. My doctor did tell me a couple years ago from a blood test that my Calcium level is low, or was it Vitiman D - can't remember, but the two go hand-in-hand. Of course, I didn't believe him…I thought "who me, I'm healthy, I workout and eat a healthy diet! "

I am also, now, humbled. Maybe just maybe, some of my other body minerals are low, as in magnesium. After all, with the high-levels of stress, anxiety, and depression (onset by season, home and health) over the last two years, my healthy eating nutritional habits have hit their lowest point in over ten years. It's hard to eat, let alone know I should eat healthy when food seems so repulsive to me right now.

In all honesty, I have joked with co-workers that I should just have my feet cut off - sick joke but at least they wouldn't hurt anymore. To top it all off, I have worked as a personal trainer, participated in a fitness contest and I have the knowledge, education and experience to know how to keep my body, mind and spirit in good health. Sadly, I don't know how I got to this point, and I'm 55, and I have workout all my life so I can live feeling healthier in my older life, like 70s-80s-90s... I still want to jog, hike a 14ner, snowshoe the Colorado Divide, and mtn bike on the trails. I am not ready to give any of this up, not physically, and definitely not mentally.

I am even using visualization meditation to feeling better because I am visualizing that the bone spurs and plantar are going away—I am telling them to leave my body, they do not belong here anymore. I have a six y/o grand daughter that I took on her first mtn bike ride over Labor Day weekend '12 to one of my favorite areas along Denver's Front Range. I take her camping and hiking too. I surely am not ready to let the HS/PF curse beat me until I try every option available to me.

Thanks to everyone's comments, I have some new recommended cures to try; I have nothing to lose by not giving this a shot. If this does not work for me, at least I know I tried.

Enjoy,

Doux"

02/20/2013: Mmsg from Somewhere, Europe replies: "Doux, check out Pete Egosque."

02/20/2013: Laurie from Frisco, Texas replies: "I tried everything, EVERYTHING, for debilitating heel spur pain. It was so bad I thought I was heading for a wheelchair. Someone suggested "wrapping". I use medical tape or in a pinch, duct tape; following the directions found on the internet and experimenting with what worked best for me. Search "foot wrapping for heel spurs" and give it a try. If you are allergic to tape adhesives, this may not be your answer - but I am 99% better, with virtually no pain whatsoever, even with being on my feet all day."