‘I’d get out of bed, and oh boy, there it is’: what to know about plantar fasciitis

The ligament that connects your foot bones can cause severe heel pain when inflamed. Here’s how to avoid that

R

ecently, I decided to go for a jog after not running at all for more than [redacted] years. I did a half-marathon a couple of presidential administrations ago, so surely it would be fine? It was! Until the next morning, when I rolled out of bed, put my feet on the floor and felt a sharp pain in my heel.

Plantar fasciitis, my old nemesis.

Maybe yours, too. It’s one of the most common causes of heel pain, affecting roughly 2 million people each year in the US, says Dr Lance Silverman, board-certified orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon. About 10% of people in the UK and US will experience it at some point in their lives.