Is Your Child Complaining of Heel Pain?

A child may have heel pain due to a number of reasons being:

• Severs disease or calcaneal apophysitis
• Bone bruise or overuse injury
• Stress fracture
• Achilles Tendinitis
• Bursitis
• Plantar Fasciitis

The most common cause of heel pain in adolesecents is calcaneal apophysitis or severs disease. This is a form of heel pain that comes from inflammation to the heel (calcaneus) growth plate. Children can have pain to the back or the bottom of the heel typically with higher impact activities like school gym, recess, and sports.

What causes severs disease?

The most common cause of severs disease is due to the repetitive nature of an activity that leads to injury. The impact on the heel when a child is playing a sport and the pull of the Achilles tendon (tendon on the back of the heel) causes repetitive irritation and inflammation to the heels’ growth plate.

What age group is most commonly affected?

Typically, severs disease affects boys and girls between the ages of 8 – 15 on average. This is due to your son or daughter growing so rapidly during this time of adolescence and the growth plate being ‘open’.

Signs and symptoms of severs disease?

• Pain to the back or bottom of the heel
• Pain typically aggravated with activity such as running or jumping
• Pain to the heel after activity
• You may notice your child walks with a limp

Treatments:

• Self limiting; thankfully, once the growth plate closes then the heel pain from severs disease is gone.
• Rest, reduction in physical activity/sports
• Custom Orthotics (Click here) or OTC orthotics
• Heel lifts
• Heel gel cups
• Arch support
• Ice
• Nsaids or Anti-inflammatory medication
• Stretching or exercises for kids
• Splint
• Physical Therapy

Summary:

The most common cause of heel pain in adolesecents is calcaneal apophysitis or severs disease. If your child is having heel pain please seek medical attention.

Author

Garrett Kalmar, DPM, AACFAS