What do you use heel lifts for?

Heel lifts (also called heel raises or shoe lifts) can be used in several orthopedic, sports medicine, and rehabilitation contexts related to the foot. They’re a simple intervention, but their applications are quite specific.

For example, heel lifts can be used for:

Leg Length Discrepancy (LLD)

• Indication: When one leg is shorter than the other (structural or functional).
• Effect: Heel lifts can equalize leg length, improving gait mechanics, and reducing compensatory issues like low back pain, hip pain, or knee strain.
• Note: Usually recommended if the discrepancy is ≥ 1 cm, but exact threshold depends on symptoms.

Achilles Tendinopathy / Achilles Rupture Rehab

• Indication: Reduces strain on the Achilles tendon by slightly plantarflexing the ankle.
• Effect: Less tensile load, allowing healing of tendinopathy or recovery after surgical/non-surgical treatment of rupture.
• Note: Often used short-term and gradually reduced.

Plantar Fasciitis

• Indication: Can help by unloading the plantar fascia, especially if calf tightness is contributing.
• Effect: Decreases dorsiflexion stress and strain on fascia insertion.
• Note: Usually combined with stretching and proper footwear.

Sever’s Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis in Children)

• Indication: Common in physically active kids with heel pain.
• Effect: Heel lifts reduce pull of the Achilles on the calcaneal growth plate.

Postural and Spinal Conditions

• Indication:
  • Scoliosis linked with pelvic obliquity from leg length discrepancy.
  • Chronic low back pain due to uneven loading.
• Effect: Restores alignment and reduces compensatory mechanics.

Forefoot Pathologies

• Metatarsalgia or Morton’s neuroma: A small heel lift can shift load away from forefoot, relieving pressure.

Other Situations

• After certain hip/knee surgeries where limb length or joint stress needs modifying.
• In ankle instability, mild heel lifts can reduce excessive dorsiflexion that provokes symptoms.

Key Considerations:

Always assess the cause before prescribing—heel lifts treat mechanics, not root pathologies. Thickness matters: too high a lift may worsen biomechanics elsewhere. Often introduced gradually and adjusted as needed.