The most common reason your heel hurts in the morning is plantar fasciitis. This is inflammation, thickening, and stiffening in the ligament band called the plantar fascia, which stretches from your heel bone to your toes. This band helps your foot absorb shock, but it can become aggravated under too much pressure. As the band swells and stiffens, it pulls on your heel bone, causing pain.
This is worst in the morning because the plantar fascia tends to swell over night while you sleep. Then, as you stand to your feet when you first wake up, the band is forced to stretch out suddenly. This causes the sharp pain you feel. Depending on how thick and tight the band is, you may even develop micro-tears in the tissue. If you’re struggling with heel pain, particularly first thing in the morning, you should have your foot checked for plantar fasciitis. The Carolina Podiatry Group staff can help you diagnose and take care of this condition. Just contact our South Carolina offices for an appointment. You can use the website request form, or you can reach us at (803) 285-1411 for our Lancaster office, or (803) 548-FEET for the Indian Land location.