5 Home Remedies for Heel Spurs (Exostosis) That Will Get You Back on Your Feet

Have you ever gotten up first thing in the morning and felt a shooting pain in your heel? If so, you might have heel spurs.

Heel spurs are a kind of bone spur, or exostoses, which are a small bit of bone growing where they aren’t supposed to. You can develop a bone spur anywhere in your body. But most people develop exostoses in their heels. If you’ve been experiencing heel pain from spurs, here are some self-care options that can help bring you quick and lasting relief.

What are the symptoms of heel spurs?

Many people with heel spurs don’t experience any symptoms. But, if your heel spurs are causing you a problem, you’ll likely experience:

• Pain near your heel or on the bottom of your foot

• Foot pain that gets worse after activity or exercise

• Foot pain that’s worse first thing in the morning or after you’ve been resting for a long time

• Pain that usually gets better after taking a few steps or moving your foot

Heel spurs are extremely common, though some people don’t even know they have them. Studies show that about half of all people over the age 60 have at least one heel spur. 

Why do heel spurs develop?

It’s not completely clear what prompts the body to develop bone spurs. Scientists believe the body starts to lay down more bone as a defense mechanism in response to injury or trauma. This might explain why people are more likely to develop bone spurs after major injuries, ligament tears, or bone infections. 

But over time, everyday stress like walking and running can prompt people to develop spurs on their heels. This is why you’re more likely to develop them as you get older. 

Heel spurs often go hand in hand with plantar fasciitis, a common cause of foot pain caused by inflammation of the ligament that connects the back part of the foot to the front part of the foot. Studies show that about half of people with plantar fasciitis develop heel spurs. 

How do you treat heel spurs?

The good news is that you can treat heel spurs at home with simple home remedies. In fact, if your heel spurs aren’t bothering you, you don’t need to treat them at all. But if you are having pain or discomfort, here are some self-care options that can help.

1. Rest

You want to take a rest from things that could be irritating your heel spur. But rest doesn’t mean that you have to stop all activity. Instead of eliminating your daily walk, try to cut down on the time by 10% to 15%. 

Better yet, keep your usual routine but switch up your exercise surface. Walking, jogging, or running on a hard surface is much tougher on your heels. You can switch to a softer surface to take pressure off your heels. 

2. Stretches

Regular stretching can help relieve heel pain and improve your foot’s overall flexibility. Improved flexibility can lower the stress on your feet when you’re active. You can add stretches for both heel spurs and plantar fasciitis into your daily routine:

• Heel spur stretches

• Plantar fasciitis stretches

You can also try rolling your heel and foot over a bottle of frozen water. This does the double duty of stretching your plantar fascia while also providing pain and inflammation relief. 

3. Heel support

Getting the right foot support can also help relieve heel spur pain. You can try heel cups and cushions. However, it’s not clear how well these work for heel spur pain specifically.

You can also opt for footwear that provides a good amount of arch support. This relieves stress on your plantar fascia and by extension your heel spur. There are custom orthotics you can try as well, though these might require a visit to the podiatrist for a fitting or prescription. 

4. Over-the-counter pain relievers

For rapid pain relief, you can try an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can relieve inflammation and pain. While an occasional dose of these medications is safe for most people, you don’t want to rely on them too heavily. Taking too many NSAIDs over time can lead to uncomfortable side effects and can worsen certain health conditions. 

If you have certain medical conditions or take certain medications, NSAIDs might not be the right treatment option for you. You can check with your healthcare provider about whether NSAIDs are safe for you to take.  

5. Night splints

People naturally point their toes down when they sleep. This position can tighten the plantar fascia and aggravate plantar fasciitis and heel spur pain. Foot splits keep your toes in a more neutral position overnight and relieve this stress. You can try a foot splint overnight to get heel pain relief. Some people opt for kinesiology tape, which has the same effect. 

When should you see a healthcare provider about heel spurs?

If you’re still in pain after trying these home care options, it’s time to see a healthcare provider. You can start with your primary care provider or see a podiatrist.  

There are additional treatment options that are only available through healthcare providers. These treatment options include:

• Steroid injections: These lower inflammation around your heel and plantar fascia. 

• Intensive physical therapy: Beyond stretches, physical therapists can also provide treatments like ultrasound therapy and newer treatments for pain relief.

• Corn and callus removal: Once you have a heel spur, your body will start to form a callus or corn around it. Professional removal can lower the amount of friction and stress on your foot. 

• Surgery: Surgery can remove heel spurs. Most people don’t need surgery, which carries its own set of risks. But if nothing else has helped, it could be an option for you. 

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Written by:

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, PhD

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist who has been practicing anesthesiology in a community hospital for 30 years. He has taught in the honors program at George Washington University for over 10 years and works as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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