As the days of spring grow longer, many people use the additional hours of sunlight to go walking. It’s an opportunity to exercise and enjoy the neighbors’ gardens at the same time. But the combination of extra weight gained during the winter and unsupportive shoes often leads to plantar fasciitis, also known as heel pain.

Many people experience this pain with their first steps in the morning. Often it subsides, but can return later in the day if you spend a lot of time on your feet. The pain may be caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia, a band of tissue that extends from your heel bone and across your arch to the ball of your foot.

You can take a few basic measures to ease the pain, including doing exercises to stretch the Achilles tendon and calf muscles, applying an ice pack to the affected area for a few minutes several times a day, using over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines, protecting your feet by not going barefoot on hard surfaces, and wearing shoes with good arch support.

But if you don’t get relief from these at-home remedies, come into our office. There may be another cause of your pain. With a thorough diagnostic examination, we’ll determine what’s causing the pain and suggest the best course of treatment for you.