I have a very bad pain at the bottom of my heel, it seems to be mostly round the edges. Strangely it is worse when I've been sat down, and is the most painful when I first get out of bed. Some days the pain is worse than others, and I've now had it for about 2 months. I've not injured my foot, it just started one day for no reason.

Does anyone know what this could be and how I should treat it.

This is actually something that I know a little about. I had this same problem. It is called
Plantar Fascia. Plantar meaning pertaining to the sole of the foot and Fascia meaning pertaining to a band of tissue that lies deep to the skin forming an investment of muscles.
What is happening is that the band of muscles is contracting in you heel which in turn is causing you great pain especially when you are resting and then have to get on your feet again.
What you need to do is go to a Podiatrist and have him or her make orthodics to fit inside your shoes. Let me tell you I feel like a new woman.
The orthodics will help tremendously.
I never leave home without them!!LOL

Don´t just go to a podiatrist and have him get you an insole, you NEED to stretch those muscles. have him give you exercises so that you aren´t dependant on othotics for the rest of time! if you don´t do any exercises for it, it will get worse. then the doctor will recommend doing surgery. your muscles are contracting with age and unuse, that´s why it hurts.

Another possibility is bone spurs. My mother did have them and required minor surgery. They are not the only cause of discomfort, but it is one possibility.

[This message was edited by Sherasi on 07-13-02 at 07:43 PM.]

I have the same thing and along with that I have Rheumatiod Arthritis, plus bartending full time. My heels felt like they'd been smashed with a sledge hammer every morning. I went to the foot doctor, he taped my foot to see if I was a candidate for orthodic inserts for my shoes. I felt no different, so he gave me a set of over the counter inserts for my shoes and they made all the difference in the world, plus they were cheap. My insurance would not cover the shoes. So, go to the doctor, see what he says, but ask to try the inserts if you don't have good insurance.

the link provided above is an ad for a particular orthotic, and seems to imply -- incorrectly in my opinion -- that heel spurs and plantar fasciitis are one and the same. The best advice is in the post previous to this one: see your doctor. It probably wouldn't hurt to try an over-the-counter orthotic for awhile, but if it still hurts, you need a real diagnosis. On line diagnosis are just guesses.

I had heel pain so bad I could hardly walk for years. I finally found a doctor who made the correct diagnosis: tarsal tunnel. It's exactly like carpal tunnel except it's in the heel. I had to have my feet wrapped and taped, etc. It was a nuisance but I haven't been troubled that way for a long time. Good luck to you.

The pain you are describing sounds exactly like what I suffered from for a very long time. I finially went to an orthopedic sergeon after no luck with two different podiatrists. My problem turned out to be bone spurs. He gave me cortisone shots which are pretty painful for the moment but helped me tremendously. I could hardly walk and now I am perfectly fine. good luck, I know what it is like to feel this kind of pain.