In the United States alone, approximately 2 million Americans suffer from heel spur pain each year. Heel spur pain is typically located on the underside of the heel, and occasionally behind it.
While heel spur pain is rarely a symptom of a serious health condition, it can escalate to the point where normal activity, especially exercise, can be extremely painful.
Although mild pain in the heel area can commonly disappear on its own, severe pain can become persistent and chronic if ignored.
What is a Heel Spur? (Bone Spur of the Heel)
Believe it or not, and I can't stress this enough, heel spurs don't actually cause pain! Most heel pain is caused by a condition known as plantar fasciitis. When the plantar fascia becomes chronically inflamed, it can get calcified (hardened) where it is attached to the heel bone. This appears on an x-ray as a heel spur! But rest assured, this spur is likely not causing your pain.
What Causes Heel Spurs?
Heel Pain Symptoms- Why Is Heel Pain In The Morning Worse?
The typical symptoms of heel pain present themselves gradually. In most cases, pain is felt on the bottom of the heel. Discomfort can also extend into the arch.
The pain is most intense when resuming activity after rest and tends to decrease with continued motion. This is due to the fact that the plantar fascia (the ligament that is strained in heel pain) tightens as we sleep. When we first step down again, a shocking tight pain can be felt!
Plantar fasciitis can also worsen at the end of the day after long periods of standing or walking. Swelling, inflammation and stiffness are other symptoms that may be associated with this type of heel pain.
How to Get Rid of Heel Spurs?
Because heel spurs are usually not the direct cause of heel pain, there is usually not many good reasons to surgically remove heel spurs. You can achieve relief from heel pain (plantar fasciitis) without ever removing the spurs! If you can figure out what the underlying cause is, you may be able to get rid of your pain.
The American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society has recommended the use of over-the-counter insoles and stretching exercises as a starting point for heel pain treatment.
According to one study performed, approximately 95 percent of women who wore over-the-counter shoe inserts and followed a simple stretching regimen experienced significant relief from heel pain in eight weeks. This illustrates what many have experienced in the past, that over-the-counter orthotic shoe inserts can be used as a highly effective first line of therapy for heel pain with positive results.
What is the #1 Home Remedy for Heel and Arch Pain (Plantar Fasciitis)?
For something that affects so many people, plantar fasciitis(heel pain) isn't talked about often enough. Generally part of the welcoming wagon of "getting old," plantar fasciitis can be serious enough to make the simple act of walking tough for anyone - regardless of age and fitness.
For many, the answer is plantar fasciitis insoles, sometimes custom-made by a podiatrist. These can cost hundreds of dollars, and can often end up limiting the types of shoes you can wear.
However, nearly all cases of plantar fasciitis (heel pain) can be addressed with a pair of over-the-counter plantar fasciitis insoles.
Not only do they average a tenth of the cost, but they are available in many different shapes and sizes, so you don't have to get rid of what's in your closet.
It's also important to understand cushioning is not the answer! While you would think a cushioned shoe insert is what would be needed for "walking on spur", a more supportive insert that supports the arch is actually what's needed to relieve heel pain!
It sounds a little too good to be true, but once you understand more about what plantar fasciitis is, and what a good insole needs to help, you'll start to see why the solution doesn't have to break the bank.
Top 5 Heel Pain Insoles for 2021
🏆 "Our 2021 Top Pick" 🏆
🏆 #1- Samurai Insoles ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why are Samurai Insoles our Top Pick for 2021 for Heel Pain?
✔️ Great Reviews: "They work", "Amazing", "A Miracle", "A must have"; this is just some of the tremendous feedback Samurai Insoles are getting from customers on Amazon with Heel Pain recently.
✔️ Design: Samurai Insoles are one of the ONLY orthotic insoles on the market with an actual orthotic BUILT RIGHT INSIDE the insole itself.
This gives your feet the support of an orthotic, which is really important when dealing with plantar fasciitis/ heel pain, and the comfort and flexibility of an insole, all in one!
They also can be worn in ANY shoe with a removable insole, giving you the flexibility of using them in many types of shoes!
✔️ Price: At $47.00 these are an absolute steal (Edit: It looks like these are currently on sale on Amazon for $39.99!) Custom orthotics for plantar fasciitis can easily cost more than $500. For less than 1/10 the price, these are nearly as good.
✔️ Greater than 30 Day Return Policy: Samurai Insoles offer a 60 day no risk "test drive", which is basically DOUBLING the standard Amazon return policy. Apparently they'll even accept a return if you've worn them for 59 days and then decide they don't work for you. Wow!
✔️ Made in the USA: Samurai Insoles are made in an orthotic lab in the USA. The fact that an American made orthotic can be purchased for under $50 is amazing.
#2- Protalus Insoles ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3- Superfeet GREEN Insoles ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Superfeet have been around a LONG time. They got their start being sold in retail sporting goods stores, and have transitioned to selling online in recent years, but this has presented the company with some challenges.
❌ Great Reviews: When looking through the reviews for Superfeet you'll surely find many who have been helped by the GREEN insole line. Unfortunately, they have apparently had issues with cheap knock offs sneaking their way onto Amazon and Ebay, which has led to many complaints by customers that they have received fakes when buying online.
✔️ Design: If you've checked out the Protalus design, just know that the Superfeet did it first. They were one of the first to incorporate an orthotic plastic layer on the outside of the insole. Once again, this does the job, but it also makes them thicker than the Samurai, reducing the choices of shoes they'll fit well in.
✔️ Price: Superfeet retail for $49.99, that's getting into the pricey range.
✔️ Greater than 30 Day Return Policy: Superfeet GREEN has a 60 day return policy.
❌ Made in the USA: Superfeet are not made in the USA unfortunately. Once again, for this price we had hoped they would be.
#4- Dr. Scholl's "Custom fit" Orthotic Inserts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✔️ Great Reviews: Overwhelming positive on Amazon at the time of writing this.
✔️ Design: Not a full length insole (but neither is Protalus), which may make it difficult for some people to adjust to the feel of this. Once again, Dr. Scholl's Custom Fit combine a thick piece of plastic to the bottom of the insole, instead of inside.
❌ Price: Dr. Scholl's "Custom fit" Orthotic Inserts currently retail for $53.95 on Amazon, our second most expensive selection.
✔️ Greater than 30 Day Return Policy: Dr. Scholls Custom Fit Orthotic Inserts has a 90 day return policy. Once again, we wonder if something fits you for 60 days, is there a chance you'll change your mind in 90 days?
❌ Made in the USA: Dr. Scholl's "Custom fit" Orthotic Inserts are not made in the USA unfortunately.
#5- Dr. Scholl's Pain Relief Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis ⭐⭐⭐
❌ Great Reviews: Mixed reviews on Amazon "More time will tell", "Didn't really help much", "It's OK".
❌ Design: Well, unfortunately, there isn't much of one. Dr. Scholl’s Pain Relief Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis are a very thin insole with a *very* thin piece of plastic glued to the bottom. It's unclear how much weight they can hold before flattening out, but by the looks of it, not much.
✔️ Price: Well, they are affordable! Dr. Scholl’s Pain Relief Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis retail for $18.99 on Amazon.
✔️ Greater than 30 Day Return Policy: Dr. Scholl’s Pain Relief Orthotics for Plantar Fasciitis have a 90 day return policy.
❌ Made in the USA: Dr. Scholl's Pain Relief Orthotic Inserts are not made in the USA unfortunately, and at $18.99 we wouldn't expect them to be.
Whichever you choose to fight your plantar fasciitis pain, choose now!
The longer you allow plantar fasciitis pain to linger, the harder it is to get rid of, and the longer it will take!
