Does My Child Have Sever's Disease?

Does your child experience pain, swelling, or redness in one or both heels?

Does your child have heel pain that gets worse after running or jumping, and feels better after rest?

Is the pain especially bad at the beginning of a sports season or when wearing hard, stiff shoes (e.g., soccer cleats)?

Does your child walk or run with a limp or on tiptoes?

Does your child experience tenderness and tightness in the back of the heel that feels worse when the area is squeezed?

Does your child have trouble walking?

Based on your answers, it’s unlikely that your child has Sever’s disease. This is a heel injury that causes your child serious pain and is related to his or her growth spurt. During a growth spurt, the heel bone grows faster than the ligaments, muscles, and tendons in the leg. The muscles -and tendons are then stretched too tight. If a child is very active and plays a sport that involves a lot of running and/or jumping on hard surfaces, it can put extra strain on the already overstretched tendons. Swelling and pain may occur at the part where the tendons attach to the growing part of the heel. In case you answered ‘no’ to all questions, there may be no reasons to worry.

Based on your answers, your child is displaying some signs related to Sever’s disease. This is a heel injury that causes your child serious pain and is related to his or her growth spurt. The condition is more common in boys, as they have later growth spurts than girls, and they typically get it between the ages of 10 and 15. In girls, the condition usually develops between the ages of 8 and 13. Luckily, symptoms typically go away after a few months. The best treatment is rest, and when your child is well enough to return to their sport, they need to build up their exercise time gradually.

Unfortunately, your child is displaying the symptoms typically seen among individuals who have Sever’s disease. This is a heel condition that causes your child serious pain and is related to his or her growth spurt. The good news is that the condition does not cause any long-term foot problems and symptoms typically go away after some months. Once your child is fully grown, the symptoms won’t return. Until then, the condition can occur again if your child stays very active. To prevent it, you should have your child wear supportive shoes, stretch their legs, try to avoid too much running, and maintain a healthy weight.