Trouble standing on my feet when I get up in the morning.

Dear Ask The Doctor: Every morning when I put my feet on the floor I get this pain in my ankles and feet. I have to stand for minute or lean on something before I try to walk. What could this be ?

Dear Jamella: According to your description, this might be due to the redistribution of the blood volume from one position to the other, it seems to be an isolated symptom and its duration is very brief, so it is considered with no clinical significance. It is also a very well known fact that the sustained overweight and lack of exercise can cause problems in the weight bearing joints like ankles, Knees, Hips and also Lumbar Spine, this seems to be happening with your feet. The suggested strategy in your case should be: consult a nutritionist or dietitian to help you to loose weight and combine the prescribed diet along with a consistent exercise routine, for example 30 minute walking every day at your own pace. For the pain management: you can take anti inflammatory medication (“Aleve”, “Motrin”). As soon as you begin to loose weight, the pain should decrease.