Heel Pain In Children

The onset of heel pain in children is actually quite common, especially between the ages of 8 and 14. That’s because the heel bone is going through its final stages of development during this time. If you repeatedly stress the growth plate in your heel during this time, inflammation can set in. The onset of inflammation is known as calcaneal apophysitis. The condition is also known by a different name – Sever’s Disease.

Sever’s disease is a little bit of a misnomer because it’s a condition, not a disease. In fact, it’s the most common cause of heel pain in children, and it can occur in one or both feet. The most common cause of Sever’s disease in children is from overuse and stress, and oftentimes this occurs in physical activity or sports. Their feet are sensitive while growing, so a lot of running and jumping on hard surfaces can lead to inflammation in the heel. Children who play soccer, basketball and those who run track are at the greatest risk for heel pain during this stage of their life. Aside from overstress, other potential causes of calcaneal apophysitis include obesity, tightness in the Achilles tendon, and mechanical foot disorders like flat feet or a high arch.

Symptoms and Treatment Of Heel Pain

The most common symptoms of calcaneal apophysitis in children include:

• Heel pain
• Walking with a limp
• Toe walking
• Difficulty running, walking, jumping or participating in physical activity
• Pain on the side of the heel when the heel is compressed

Diagnosing the condition is pretty straightforward. The foot specialist begins by conducting a physical exam of the child’s foot and asking about medical and family history. An x-ray is usually ordered to confirm the diagnosis, and in rare cases other imaging techniques or tests may be ordered.

If it is determined that your child is dealing with Sever’s disease, you’ll be briefed on a couple of different treatment options. All of these options are non-surgical, and may be used in combination with one another. The child may be asked to reduce certain activities for a period of time, to try a heel support or custom orthotic device when walking or during physical activity, to participate in physical activity to promote healing of the inflamed tissue or to take NSAIDs to help combat the inflammation. In severe cases, the child may be asked to wear an immobilization cast or boot in order to keep the area immobile so that healing can occur.

Other ways to prevent the onset of calcaneal apophysitis include helping the child maintain a healthy weight, ensuring they have supportive shoes, and avoiding excessive physical activity or activity beyond their ability level.

The post Why Does My Child Have Heel Pain? appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.

What is Sever’s Disease?

Named for American Orthopedic doctor James Sever who first characterized the condition in 1912, Sever’s disease is condition that affects growing kids. The condition is also described as a calcaneal apophysitis, and it occurs in active children as their bodies continue to grow and develop.

Sever’s disease occurs when the growth plate in your heel is subjected to painful inflammation. See, a growth plate is an area at the end of a developing bone where cartilage cells slowly turn into bone cells, which is how our bones form and grow. For some adolescents, during the growth spurt of puberty, the heel bone (calcaneus) sometimes grows faster than the leg muscles and tendons. When this happens, it can cause the muscles and tendons to become tight and overstretched, which makes your heel less flexible to during normal movement. This rigidity puts added stress on the growth plate of your heel, which can lead to regionalized swelling, tenderness and mild to moderate pain from inflammation.

Causes and Symptoms of Sever’s Disease

As we mentioned above, puberty, rapid growth spurts and high levels of activity are three of the most common causes of Sever’s disease. The condition generally sets in during a two-year period early in puberty when kids grow most rapidly. This growth spurt is common in girls between the ages of 8 and 13, and in boys between the ages of 10 and 15. Sever’s disease rarely sets in after the age of 15, as the growth plates have typically hardened and fused together into the mature bone by this age.

Other conditions that can increase a child’s likelihood of developing inflammation in the heel include:

• Excessive standing
• Shoes with poor heel support
• An overly flat or high foot arch
• Foot pronation when walking
• Obesity

Although we already touched on some of the symptoms of Sever’s disease, here’s a full look at the potential symptoms:

• Pain in the heel
• Regionalized swelling or tenderness
• Redness in the heel
• Discomfort while walking
• Stiffness in the heel in the morning
• Symptoms that worsen with activity and get better with rest

The post The Causes and Treatments for Sever’s Disease appeared first on Lance Silverman, MD - Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon.