Is your child complaining of heel pain? Does the pain occur during or after activity? We may have the answer for you. Your child may have calcaneal apophysitis causing the discomfort in their heel. Before you do a quick Google search (or still trying to work out how to pronounce it), we’ll provide you with some information about this condition and how we can help get your child back to what they love doing pain-free!
What is calcaneal apophysitis?
The heel of your foot is called the calcaneus bone and children between the approximate ages of 8-15 may experience pain in the growth plate of the heel. It’s more commonly known as Sever’s disease. However, it’s not actually a disease. The good news is that once the growth plate fuses, the pain will resolve. The bad news is that it can take a few years so your child will still be in pain.
What are the symptoms?
Your child’s symptoms may be the following:
- Pain at the back of the heels
- Pain increases during and/or after activity
- Pain that may cause limping
- Pain decreases once the activity that has caused the pain is reduced
- Wearing flat shoes or being bare-footed when walking may aggravate pain
What causes calcaneal apophysitis?
- Increased BMI
- Recently started running or jumping activity
- Increased volume, intensity and/or frequency of activity
- Inappropriate footwear
- Foot posture
- Muscle tightness
- Muscle weakness
How can we help?
There are a variety of treatment options that we can offer to help your child. These include:
- Activity modification (doing more of things that don’t flare up the pain and less of the things that do)
- Ice and/or anti-inflammatory medication to settle down the pain
- Footwear assessment and advice
- Reducing muscle tightness and improving muscle strength
- Orthotics to reduce load on the heel area and improve foot function
Sound familiar? Don’t let the pain get worse and stop your child from doing what they love! For individual advice regarding your feet, feel free to contact us or book an appointment online.
