Heel Pain in Children

A surprisingly common complaint in children between ages 8 - 14 years but often overlooked or under diagnosed. We get parents saying their child has had it for a few months sometimes even a couple of seasons but didn't know what to do with it.

Otherwise known as calcaneal apophysitis, it is an inflammation of the growth plate in the heel of growing children. The condition presents as pain in the heel and is caused by repetitive stress to the heel and is thus particularly common in active children. The condition is relatively easy to treat and we have a very good success rate with our treatment plans. Read more to see what you can do at home.

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The most important thing to do first is to confirm that the heel pain is in fact caused through Sever's disease. Most of the time if your child is between 8 - 14 years of age, the heel pain is worse with weight-bearing activities and better with rest, you can be sure that it is most likely Sever's disease.

Treating this at home will involve a period of rest from all pain inducing activities. Often a difficult thing for parents to tell their children and an equally difficult thing for children to hear, they have to stop running around. Be assured this is the best course of treatment though and plays a vital part in getting better sooner. Along with rest, some icing is required to decrease the pain and inflammation. Appropriate footwear also will play a part in managing the condition. There are a few more aspects to treating the condition however the above mentioned points are a really good start. If the pain persists past 4 weeks with the above, then see your Podiatrist who can create a customised treatment plan for your child. All it takes is 2 to 3 consultations to firstly assess and implement the treatment plan, secondly monitor the progress and thirdly to see if there is anything more we can do to hasten the recovery.

With the correct treatment plan, we usually see the symptoms reduce in the first 4-8 weeks although this can vary from person to person.

If you fear your kid is suffering from Sever's disease feel free to give us a call to discuss and arrange for an initial consultation.