Bone spur?

I have always had delicate feet. They are extremely small, but long and narrow and not sturdy enough to withstand my weight (I don't think).  Anytime I have ever walked long distances, ever since I was in my early teens, my feet would ache for days afterward.  Back then, I was in pretty good physical shape, but not so much these days.  Anyway, in the last three months, the heel of my left foot has developed a hard nodule right in the center. It feels like it moves around and grinds a little when pressure is applied, and walking around barefoot is almost unbearable.  It even hurts when I wear shoes, most of the time, and I've tried various orthopedic inserts and what have you.  Some days it hurts more than others but the bump is always there now.  Because I'm shifting my weight around to avoid putting pressure on this spot, the right side of my back (particularly under my scapula) is starting to ache tremendously.  Could this be a bone spur? Should I talk to my physician before seeking help from a podiatrist? It hurts :(

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without an evaluation it would be difficult to diagnose the cause of your foot and back ache. Causes of foot ache include fractures, dislocations, infections/ inflammations like tendonitis, arthritis, bursitis, fasciitis, growths like spurs, heel fat pad syndrome etc. Back pain can be caused due to injuries to bones, ligaments, muscles, tendons etc, inflammation of the chest wall structures, infections, nerve issues, referred pain etc. It would be best to get this evaluated by your primary care physician (or an orthopedician for foot pain) for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Hope this helps.

Take care!