Why Do I Have Shooting Pain in My Heels When I Get Up in the Morning?

It happens every morning as soon as you get out of bed — you put your foot down, and you feel a shooting pain in your heel. It gradually subsides, but it may return periodically during the day, especially if you’ve been sitting for a while. What could be the cause?

Chances are, you have a condition called plantar fasciitis. The characteristic symptom is shooting heel pain.

At Chicagoland Foot and Ankle, our team of board-certified foot and ankle specialists diagnoses and treats plantar fasciitis at our many locations in and around Chicago, Illinois. If you get shooting or stabbing pain in your heel, here’s what’s likely going on.

What is the plantar fascia, and how does it lead to fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot, from the calcaneal (heel) bone to the toes, and it helps support your arch. 

One of the tissue’s functions is to absorb the shock from your body weight and movement. But too much pressure over a long period can create tiny tears that lead to inflammation, which then triggers the characteristic heel pain and stiffness.

Plantar fasciitis develops slowly over time, and the overall pain can be dull or sharp. Some people feel a sharp pain in their heel, and others feel a burning or ache on the bottom of the foot that extends outward from the heel. 

Because stiffness often accompanies the pain, activities such as climbing stairs can be difficult.

The pain can also flare due to increased irritation or inflammation from prolonged activity. Interestingly, you don’t usually feel the pain during the activity but after you stop it.

What are the risks for plantar fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is most commonly found in runners and older adults. About half of patients diagnosed with the condition also have heel spurs, bony outgrowths on the heel bone. While these were once considered a potential cause, it’s now known their presence doesn’t cause plantar fasciitis to develop.

Additional risk factors include:

• Being overweight or obese
• Having a job where you’re often on your feet
• Having tight Achilles tendons
• Wearing shoes with insufficient arch support

Another risk factor is frequent ankle dorsiflexion, the motion of bending your foot backward at the ankle.

Treating plantar fasciitis

The first line of treatments for plantar fasciitis are home remedies, including rest, icing, and anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs or lidocaine patches.

If these aren’t sufficiently effective, we can inject a corticosteroid directly into the damaged section of the ligament. But these usually only provide short-term relief. Other options might include wearing a night splint or brace, or switching to more supportive shoes.

Stretching your calves, Achilles tendon, and plantar fascia can also help relieve plantar fasciitis symptoms. Toe curls or extensions are good options.

More advanced treatments include extracorporeal shockwave therapy and/or Botox® injections to relax the ligament.

If you wake up every morning with shooting pain in your heels, you most likely are dealing with plantar fasciitis, and we at Chicagoland Foot and Ankle can help. 

Call any of our locations (Mount Greenwood and Portage Park areas of Chicago, as well as Orland Park, Bartlett, Niles, and New Lenox, Illinois) to schedule a consultation, or book your appointment online today.