If you are noticing that you are having pain when you are walking, you should go see your doctor to see what's going on. They may tell you that what you have is plantar fascial fibromatosis, also called Ledderhose disease. 

Plantar Fascial Fibromatosis

That name sounds like a mouthful to say, but it has nothing to do with your mouth, it's all about your feet. The bottom of your feet is the plantar surface. Deep inside your feet, there is connective tissue that is known as fascia that runs from your heels to your toes. On some people, that fascia can start to thicken and develop benign nodules. The nodules are generally found at the highest part of your arch. At first, those nodules aren't very painful, but as the illness progresses, it can become more and more painful to walk. Your toes may also start to contract as well. It can take a while for people to get to that point since it is generally a fairly slowly progressing disease. It tends to affect people in their middle age and older, with men tending to have it more than women. While no one knows for sure what causes Ledderhose disease, there is some evidence that it tends to run in families, so if someone you are related to has dealt with this, then you are also at higher risk. 

Treatments

There are a number of treatments that you can use if you have plantar fascial fibromatosis. One is steroid injections. Steroids are used to help bring down inflammation and other problems. Getting regular injections can help make your feet feel better and help you be able to walk less painfully. The steroids may also help to slow the progress of the illness. If your case is more advanced, your doctor may suggest surgery. There are different kinds of surgery that your doctor may suggest. One is the removal of the fibrous tissue from the fascia. Another is the removal of the fascia itself. Generally, removing the fascia has shown some good results when it comes to the recurrence of Ledderhose disease. 

Just because your feet hurt doesn't mean that you have plantar fascial fibromatosis, since it is relatively uncommon. But, if your doctor does diagnose you with that, it is a manageable issue and your feet can feel better and you can walk with less pain. To learn more, contact organizations like the Dupuytren's Disease Support Group.