What is Sever’s disease?
Sever’s disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis, is a type of bone injury in which the growth plate in the lower back of the heel, where the Achilles tendon attached to calcaneal bone, becomes inflamed and causes pain. Sever’s disease is the most common cause of heel pain in children, especially those who play sports on a regular basis or do a lot of exercises.
What causes Sever’s disease?
1. The heel bone grows faster than the ligaments in the leg.
- Because of this muscles and tendons can become very tight and overstretched in children who are going through growth spurts.
- The heel is especially susceptible to injury since the foot is one of the first parts of the body to grow to full size and the heel area is not very flexible.
2. Sever’s disease occurs as a result of repetitive stress on the Achilles tendon. Constant pressure over a certain period of time on the already tight heel cord can damage the growth plate, causing pain and inflammation. Such stress and pressure can result from:
- sports that involve running and jumping on hard surfaces (track, basketball, gymnastics, footy, soccer etc).
- standing too long, which puts constant pressure on the heel.
- poor-fitting shoes that don’t provide enough support or padding for the feet.
- overuse or exercising too much.
Who gets Sever’s disease?
- Sever’s disease is most likely to occur during the growth spurt that occurs in adolescence.
- For girls, growth spurts usually occur between 8 and 13 years of age.
- For boys, it is typically between 10 and 15 years of age.
- Sever’s disease rarely occurs in older adolescents and teenagers.
What are the symptoms of Sever’s disease?
- Pain or tenderness in one or both heels. This pain usually occurs at the back of the heel, can also extend to the sides and bottom of the heel.
These symptoms cause common problems in children like:
- heel pain with limping, especially after running
- difficulty walking
- discomfort or stiffness in the feet upon awaking
- swelling and redness in the heel
- Symptoms are usually worse during or after activity and get better with rest.
How is Sever’s disease diagnosed?
Sever’s disease can be diagnosed based on the symptoms your child has.
How we treat Sever’s Disease
- load management on heels by taking some time off from sports and other physical activities to reduce the pressure on the heel bone.
- Physiotherapy or any type of exercise that involves stretching and strengthen leg muscles and tendons of foot and leg.
- Icing help reduce pain and swelling.
- Orthotic for to reduce pain and better quality of life in growing age.
If any of your children experiences these kinds of symptoms, call us on 8269 3800 to book in for a Free Initial Assessment.