Have Your Kids Complained About Sore Heels?

Have your kids complained about sore heels since they started their fall sports? They could have a condition called Sever’s disease or calcaneal apophysitis. Calcaneal apophysitis is an inflammation of the growth plate in the calcaneus (heel bone) in children, usually between the ages of 8 and 14. If your child has had a growth spurt over the summer or is involved in activities that involve a lot of running or jumping, like soccer, basketball, gymnastics or cross country, they are at greater risk of experiencing heel pain. The best way to treat this condition is with rest, because it decreases the strain on the growth plate. This may mean your child has to sit out of his or her preferred sport for a period, but he or she can still stay active by swimming, skating or cycling. Icing the heels for 15 minutes three times a day can also help reduce the inflammation. If these are not enough, there are devices that can be worn in the shoes as well as stretches and exercises that are beneficial. For more information, come in and see our Chiropodist (foot specialist). The good news about this condition is that once the foot has finished growing, the growth plate will fuse and the pain will disappear!