Sever's Disease

Heel pain is never normal, even in children. Many people write this off as “growing pains,” which can be true, but each case should be individually examined. One of the most common causes of heel pain in young growing athletes is Sever’s disease. This is an overuse and repetitive injury to the growth plates in the calcaneus, or the heel bone. The calcaneus is one of the first body parts to fully mature and this happens around early puberty. When this happens, bone is growing faster than muscles or the tendons that hold the muscles to the bone. This causes the muscles to become tight.

Symptoms of Sever’s Disease can include a painful or tender heel, discomfort when the heel is squeezed, the young athlete limps, or the pain can is more severe during the sport. This is directly related to the overuse of bone and tendons in the heel. This may show itself at the beginning of the season, and may be more common in those children that are overweight, as well as those who over-pronate.

Your podiatrist will recommend R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for the initial pain. Upon examination, they will look at the child’s gait and possibly an x-ray to make sure no other fracture is responsible for the heel pain. Orthoses may be recommended to prevent the over-pronation. The disease can be self-recovering, meaning it will go away when the bone finishes growing. In the meanwhile the condition could recur until then. However your podiatrist take a look so they can ease the symptoms as your child grows. And remember, for this and any other foot condition your child may have, let Dr. Grimm and Dr. Pattison of Foot Associates of Central Texas take a look.