Why Your Heels Hurt So Badly in the Morning

Most of the time, pain, soreness, and stiffness come at the end of a hard day or a burst of exertion. You start the day fresh, but after a long day at work or a few hours on the basketball court, you’ve lost the spring in your step and your body needs to recuperate.

There’s a curious exception, however. Although heel pain can definitely follow the normal pattern, it often seems to work in reverse! Plant your feet on the ground for the first time after a night’s sleep, and a jolt of pain shivers up your leg. Once you get up and move around, however, that sharp pain starts to recede. By the time you’re out the door, you may have forgotten it entirely!

What you’re experiencing, most likely, is a condition called plantar fasciitis. From heel to toe, the bottoms of your feet are spanned and supported by a thick band of connective tissue called the plantar fascia. This tissue, unfortunately, is prone to stretching and tearing, especially near where it inserts into the heel.

At night, or even after a lengthy sit or rest, both the plantar fascia and the muscles of the calf and foot tend to tighten and contract. When you get up again, it takes some time for these muscles to stretch out and relax, and until they do, they tug painfully on the already-injured plantar fascia. That’s why the pain is worst at first, but slowly diminishes.

Plantar fasciitis can have a profoundly negative effect on your quality of life. Not only are your first steps of the day miserable, but the pain can return later after activity, too. This keeps you from really engaging in or enjoying daily activities or hobbies.

There’s good news, though! The heel pain experts at Omega Medical Group (OMG) offer many options to successfully treat plantar fasciitis. Our practice philosophy is not only focused on getting you quick relief, but also keeping you as active as possible throughout the treatment and recovery phase. That’s why we offer treatments such as physical therapy, custom orthotics and regenerative medicine.

To set up your appointment with the OMG team, at either of our convenient locations, please call us today at (305) 514-0404.