Foot pain in the morning is most often caused by a condition known as "plantar fasciitis," but may also be caused by a number of other conditions like heel spurs, tendinitis, or a condition called Tarsal Tunnel syndrome. Stress fractures in the foot can also cause this type of pain to occur. If a person’s heel is bruised, he may also experience pain when he first gets out of bed.
Tendons known as plantar fascia connect peoples' toes to their heels. When the plantar fascia in the foot is injured and becomes inflamed, the result is a condition known as plantar fasciitis. This type of pain usually occurs slowly and is located in a person’s heel, although other areas of the foot may hurt as well.
Plantar fasciitis is a frequent cause of foot pain in the morning because, with this condition, a person’s foot usually does not hurt until pressure is placed on it. When a person gets out of bed in the morning after resting all night, the weight of his body pushes down on the foot. This pain usually deteriorates after a person begins to move around, but may come back if he has to stand in one place for a long period of time.
Often, plantar fascitis occurs because of the exercises a person does, such as running, jogging, or playing sports. Weight gain that occurs rapidly, like such as during pregnancy, can cause problems that lead to this type of condition as well. The type of shoes that a person chooses to wear can also cause issues, especially if he wears flip flops or other shoes that do not provide any type of arch support.
Heel spurs develop in the heel of the foot and are fragments of bone that are jagged and pointed. These spurs can damage the ligaments and tendons around them causing what is know as "Achilles tendinitis." This condition occurs when the Achilles tendons are injured and become inflamed. Generally, these torn tendons are caused by repetitive overuse use, but tearing can also result if too much stress is placed on the tendons.
Tarsal Tunnel syndrome develops if a certain nerve in the foot, known as the tibial nerve, is stressed, confined, or inhibited in some way. Foot pain in the morning is most noticeable in a person’s arch, and is usually the most severe area for the pain to occur. Along with this pain, a person may also experience numbness in the foot and tingling.
