Heel Pain in The Morning?

Do you experience pain in the bottom of your heel after waking up? There are a number of conditions that cause pain on the bottom of your heel with the most common cause being plantar fasciitis which affects approximately 1 in 10 people.

The plantar fascia is a ligament-like structure that runs from the bottom of the heel to the ball of the foot, and helps to support the arches within the foot.

Plantar fasciitis is characterized by a sharp pain when first getting out of bed in the morning, which reduces with walking. However, the pain may return at the end of the day, and be just as painful as the morning pain.

Risk factors for getting plantar fasciitis include being overweight, increased time spent standing and a decreased ankle joint range of motion. These risk factors all place extra stress on the plantar heel, resulting in pain. Therefore, addressing these risks are a key part of successful management.

There are a variety of treatments used for plantar fasciitis including:

•reducing weight (ideally a BMI below 30)

•reducing activity levels (e.g. amount of running) or time spent standing

•wearing supportive cushioned footwear (e.g. runners)

•performing calf and plantar fascia stretches before standing after a period of rest

If these treatment fail, there are a variety of other more complex treatment options which we offer at our office including being fit for custom foot orthotics (shoe insoles), ultrasound therapy, exercise rehabilitation, and myofascial release to break up scar tissue.