If your child is complaining of heel pain then they may have Sever’s disease—one of the most common causes of heel pain in children and adolescents.

What triggers Sever’s disease?

Also known as ‘calcaneal apophysitis’, Sever’s disease is not a disease at all but an irritation of the growth plate on the back of the heel bone. This issue often occurs when children are growing or going through a growth spurt. It’s typically seen in children, especially boys from around 8–15 years of age, particularly if they’re highly active and play sports that involve running or jumping.

Although common, Sever’s disease can cause significant pain and result in your child not being able to participate in sport and other physical activities.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

At Rose Park Podiatry, our friendly Adelaide podiatrists have decades of experience working with children and adolescents to ensure their growing and changing feet develop appropriately. It’s about ensuring they have a solid foundation to become the best they can be in life.

This means our treatment approach for Sever’s disease is focused on eliminating pain and discomfort, with individual treatment plans being tailored for each child in order to get them back to the activities they love doing.

What are the signs and symptoms of Sever’s disease?

• Heel pain during or after sports
• Limping during or after sports
• Swelling around the heel
• Avoiding sports or physical activities

How is Sever’s disease diagnosed?

A physical examination by one of our skilled podiatrists is usually sufficient to diagnose Sever’s disease. X-rays or other scans are typically not required.

How do your podiatrists treat Sever’s disease?

Our personalised treatment plans may involve one or more of the following:

• Shoe and footwear education or recommendations
• Soft, custom orthotics or inserts that will provide support for your child’s feet while also helping to correct poor foot posture
• Child-friendly stretching and strengthening exercises
• Icing after sports and physical activity
• Taping feet to help support the heel and reduce strain
• Massage therapy

Is your child experiencing heel pain? Contact our local Adelaide podiatrists to find out how we can help. Call us on 08 8338 0622 or book online.