You can get a pad that goes under your heel or a cup that fits around your heel for cushioning and support. A podiatrist (a foot doctor) can tell you what sort might suit you best. Or you can buy cushioning for shoes in a pharmacy. Heel cups and heel pads can be made in different materials, such as rubber, felt, foam, elastic, sponge, and silicone.

We don't know if heel pads and heel cups really help pain. The results of research are unclear, as wearing a heel pad is often combined with another treatment.

One study (a randomised controlled trial) found that wearing a silicone, rubber, or felt heel pad and doing stretching exercises reduced heel pain more than just doing exercises for eight weeks. ^[2] Another study found that an injection of steroids plus local anaesthetic reduced heel pain more than heel pads. ^[2]

There's no evidence that wearing a heel pad or cup (inside your shoe) can do any damage.

Glossary

randomised controlled trials

Randomised controlled trials are medical studies designed to test whether a treatment works. Patients are split into groups. One group is given the treatment being tested (for example, an antidepressant drug) while another group (called the comparison or control group) is given an alternative treatment. This could be a different type of drug or a dummy treatment (a placebo). Researchers then compare the effects of the different treatments.

For more terms related to Heel pain

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