Almost certainly plantar fasciitis, and that first-step pain in the morning is the classic sign. The plantar fascia tightens up during rest, so the moment you put weight through it again it screams at you. Once you've been moving for a few minutes it usually eases off, which is another telltale.

It's an overuse injury. The fascia gets irritated where it attaches at the heel, or along the medial and lateral bands running toward the toes. Common triggers are a sudden spike in activity, a change in footwear, not enough support in your shoes, or a shift in your running mechanics. Poor pelvic control can be a contributing factor too, which is why I never just look at the foot in isolation.

Yes, but it takes time and you need to work on two things at once: settling the inflammation and fixing the movement patterns that caused it in the first place. Do one without the other and it comes back.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Ice the heel with an Ice Mate Mini to get on top of pain and inflammation
  
• Roll the foot with a Massage Ball to release the intrinsic muscles and free up the mid-foot joints
  
• Use a Pocket Physio to target and release tension directly in the plantar fascia
  
• Strengthen the foot muscles — simple exercises like picking up a pen with your toes make a real difference
  
• Mobilise the ankle joint with a Power Band
  
• Stretch the calf with a Stretchband to reduce tension pulling through the whole posterior chain
  

And don't ignore the bigger picture, lumbo-pelvic stability, knee mechanics, and hip control all flow down into how the foot loads. Address those and you get more lasting relief.

What other foot injuries are there?

Beyond plantar fasciitis, the traumatic injuries I see most commonly are:

Stress fractures - usually the navicular bone or 5th metatarsal, from repetitive loading like running or jumping. Localised pain and swelling are the main signs. Rest, ice, and a boot to limit movement are standard.

Fractured tarsal bones - from direct impact or hard landings. Sharp pain, swelling, difficulty weight-bearing. May need a cast, boot, or surgery depending on severity.

Ruptured toe tendons - occur under weight-bearing load, leaving the toe unable to move properly and very painful. Sometimes surgical repair is needed.

Lisfranc injury - a separation of the cuneiform bones, usually from a significant impact or awkward landing. Ranges from a sprain to a severe fracture. Intense pain, swelling, and difficulty bearing weight. Often needs surgery in more serious cases.

For all of these: ice it, stay off it if weight-bearing is very painful, and get a proper medical diagnosis as soon as possible. The foot is too important a structure to guess at treatment.

It's named after Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin, a French military surgeon who served under Napoleon in the early 1800s. He first described the injury in 1815 after observing cavalry soldiers who fell from their horses with their feet still trapped in the stirrups. The resulting twisting force caused severe fractures and ligament tears through the mid-foot. The joint complex he identified still carries his name today.

The Lisfranc joint is where the metatarsal bones meet the cuneiform bones in the mid-foot, and it's critical for stabilising the arch. When significant force goes through an awkward landing or impact, or a modern-day equivalent of that cavalry fall, those bones and ligaments can separate, ranging from a mild sprain to a severe fracture-dislocation.

Symptoms are intense mid-foot pain, significant swelling, and difficulty or inability to bear weight. What makes this injury dangerous is that it's commonly mistaken for a simple sprain early on. Even a seemingly minor Lisfranc injury often needs specialist attention or surgery to stabilise the joint properly. Don't walk on it and get it assessed urgently. Imaging is essential.

Take this seriously. Mid-foot pain in runners is a stress fracture until proven otherwise. The navicular and 5th metatarsal are the most common sites, and both can progress from a stress reaction to a full fracture if you keep loading them without addressing it.

Rest, ice, and a boot to offload the foot are the starting point. From there, work on foot mobility with a Massage Ball, strengthen the lower leg, and stretch properly. But also look at the bigger picture: footwear, lower limb mechanics, and pelvic stability all affect how load is distributed through the foot...and map your training load properly. Most of these injuries have a spike in volume or intensity somewhere in the weeks before they show up.

Yes, in the vast majority of cases. But the timeline is real and you need to respect it.

• Conservative management - around 12 weeks total, with the first 6 or more weeks in a boot while things stabilise, then a progressive rehab program to restore foot and ankle mobility, strength, and balance
  
• Surgical management - typically 6-9 months, with a significant period non-weight-bearing before rehab can begin in earnest

Either way, the rehab program matters as much as the initial treatment. Foot mobility, ankle mobility, lower leg strength, balance work, and core stability all need to be rebuilt in the right order. Do that properly and most people get back to full activity. Rushing it is how you end up with a chronic problem instead.