Plantar Fascittis

Q. When I wake up in the morning the soles of my feet hurt in the arch area.

I do not stand on my feet all day nor walk a lot. The pain goes away after about 1 hour from waking.

What would cause this? Thank you.

A. The symptom you described is typical of plantar fascittis. This is a common condition caused by overpronation, a flattening of the arch.

This causes tension on the thick tissue of the bottom of the foot resulting in the tissue pulling away from its attachment to the calcaneus resulting in inflammation and possible bursa formation or spur formation.

Walking in the morning helps to stretch this tissue decreasing tension on the insertion to the calcaneus, this helps to alleviate the pain temporarily.

Various treatment options are available, such as anti-inflamatories, orthotics, physical therapy or possible surgery. Custom orthotics hold the foot in the correct position helping to alleviate the problem.

Stretching is very important to recovery and can be explained to you by your Podiatrist.