My heel stings at the first step of the morning...Why do I get plantar fasciitis?
May 26, 2025
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This symptom is a typical feature of 'Foothed fasciitis'. Plantar fasciitis is a disease that causes inflammation of the plantar fascia that extends from the heel to the front of the sole of the foot, and is characterized by severe pain, especially when taking the first step in the morning. The contracted plantar fascia suddenly increases during sleep, causing pain.
The main causes of plantar fasciitis are excessive firing, obesity, wrong shoes, and flat feet. It is especially common in people with long-term standing or walking jobs, and the load on the foot increases, putting a strain on the plantar fascia. In addition, as you get older, your muscles weaken or lack of excessive exercise and stretching can also contribute. As these causes work in combination, inflammation of the plantar fascia and persistent pain appear.
Treatment of plantar fasciitis is divided into non-surgical treatment and surgical treatment depending on the degree of symptoms. Non-surgical treatment is the principle in the early stages, and it is most important to reduce the activity that worsens symptoms. Walking for a long time, standing, and intense exercise can worsen the pain, so it is better to avoid it. In addition, stretching the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, and strengthening exercises on the sole of the foot are effective in relieving pain.
A typical stretching method is to massage the area where the plantar fascia is pulled by pulling the big toe upward with the ankle bent toward the top of the foot. If necessary, conservative treatments such as taking anti-inflammatory analgesics, extracorporeal shock wave treatment, and wearing functional insoles or assistive devices may be combined.
If symptoms do not improve even if non-surgical treatment is performed for more than 6 months, surgical treatment may be considered. Surgery is performed by resecting or stretching part of the plantar fascia, and there is a possibility of complications such as infection or nerve damage, so it should be carefully decided as the final treatment. In this case, it is desirable to accurately evaluate the indications through sufficient consultation with an orthopedic surgeon.
Park Young-hwan, an orthopedic surgeon at Korea University Guro Hospital, said "If you wake up in the morning and feel pain at the first step, it is helpful to take a rest immediately and combine stretching and proper treatment." He then advised "Foothed fasciitis is a disease that can be sufficiently recovered with proper management, so it is important to actively respond when symptoms appear."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
