Getting out of bed in the morning and having foot pain has to be one of the worst ways to start your day.  There was a period of time where I have suffered from this condition and found it extremely frustrating in the morning and disheartening to start that way.

There are many different causes of morning foot pain and the most common cause can be a tight Achilles tendon.  I cannot stress the importance of stretching your Achilles tendon throughout the day whether or not it’s on stairs or against a wall.  The Achilles tendon is the most overused tendon in the human body and very rarely has time to rest.  Therefore it is extremely important to maintain flexibility of the Achilles tendon and work on improving ankle range of motion.

To help resolve morning heel pain one can use a belt or theraband to work on ankle range of motion.  I encourage you to use these devices to fully stretch your toes towards your nose and really stretch out the back of the ankle.  Another great exercise is to use your ankle to write the alphabet a few times before getting out of bed.  Additionally getting into slippers or recovery sandals can be successful in alleviating some of the morning pain.

These are just some gentle general recommendations and I encourage anybody with chronic pain evaluated by a physician before therapy.  There are cases where any stretching or activities can cause increased pain or dysfunction.

Sincerely,

Dr. Brandon Nelson