Sever’s Disease

Why is my child limping after sport?

Now that winter sport is well underway, there has been an increase in children presenting to the clinic with heel pain. Sever’s Disease is often the culprit.

Severs, which is also called Calcaneal Apophysitis, is a swelling and irritation of the growth plate in the heel bone. It often presents in active children aged 8 to 14 yrs.  The cause of severs is thought to be a combination of rapid growth, overuse, and overload on the growth plate of the heel. Research has also shown a link between over-pronation (rolling in and flattening of the arch) and sever’s disease.

Limping after sport is often initially seen. As severs progresses, pain may be felt during running and jumping activities.

If your child is experiencing heel pain during or after sport, it is definitely worth taking them to a podiatrist.

The good news is that children often respond very quickly to severs treatment allowing them to get back to their favourite sports. Don’t let the word DISEASE scare you, it’s not that bad!

To book a BIOMECHANICAL assessment, please call 62932024 or online here