There is a large ligament that runs from the heel bone to the ball of the foot; due to excess wear and tear, this ligament can become inflamed and become very painful; usually the first step in the morning is very hard for people suffering with this affliction. My advice is to start stretching your heels using a towel (simply, put a towel around your toes, keep your knees extended and pull the towel, you will bring your ankles up; you will feel a pull on your Achilles tendon as well as the bottom of your foot) hold this stretch for about 30 seconds and do this 3-4 times a day especially after periods of rest, particularly first thing in the morning. Next, if there is still pain, you can take 1-2 Motrin or Advil liquid capsules (if you are not allergic to them) to help with pain. You can take them three times daily.

Soaking your feet in hot water with 2 cups of dissolved Epsom salts twice daily is going to help relax the muscles, ligaments and help reduce the pain, afterwards apply Ice for fifteen minutes. Changing your physical activities, resting the foot are common remedies. You may want to try some firm arch supports in your shoes; if all this fails then you should see a podiatrist for possible heel injection and other treatments.

It's important to seek medical advice before heel pain and damage becomes worse. If the condition is allowed to worsen, more serious or invasive forms of treatment may be required to stop pain. A visit to a doctor may reveal other conditions affecting the foot as well, such as Achilles tendonitis, heel spurs, or other heel pain conditions. An x-ray may also be taken, which can reveal the presence of a heel spur. In rare cases surgery may be required to release tension on the plantar fascia, or to remove a portion of a heel spur. But again, most heel pain conditions can be resolved using conservative treatment.