To carry on with our heel pain series i thought we would be great to discuss children and the way they too, can be effected by heel pain.
Firstly, adolescent heel pain is very different to the common form of adult heel pain you hear so much about. I want to ensure people understand that children will not suffer from plantar fasciitis and thus should not be confused or easily labelled this way.
The most common form of adolescent heel pain is often called Sever’s Disease. I will admit I personally dont like the use of the word disease when labeling this condition. The term ‘disease’ often worries people, particularly parents that it is a more serious and complex issue. This is why using the term, Calcaneal Apophysitis is a far more accurate description, even if it is more difficult to pronounce.
What is Calcaneal Apophysitis (Sever’s disease) ?
- Calcaneal Apophysitis is the reaction and inflammation of the growth plate attachment of the heel bone in the foot.
- Kids usually describe it as soreness at the back of the heel that gets worse during or after activity.
- It is most typically seen in children aged between 8-13 years of age.
- It presents most often in more active children but due to the nature of the condition it can still affect more sedentry children also.
Signs/Symptoms can include:
- Pain in the heel(s) – particularly the back and sides of the heel bone
- Aggravated by high impact activities such as running/jumping
- Pain eased with rest
- Pain can often be produced when squeezing the back of the heel
- Often children will have tight calf muscles
- Walking with a limp especially after activity
- Swelling – less common
Treatment options:
Adolescent heel pain is ofen a self-limiting condition. It will generally resolve on its own in time as the growth plate of the heel bone matures and closes over. However, this time frame can vary considerably and can present with various levels of discomofrt for the child. It can be advantageous to identify the key features related to each child’s case as early as possible, to minimise its impact on their enjoyment of sport or daily activity.
As part of our management, our Podiatrists will complete a thorough examination to identify all relevant risk factors to create a specific management plan for your child. Some commonly used treatment options include:
• Supportive footwear with small heel pitch – best for sport and school.
• Ice area following activity – helps manage pain and discomfort.
• Heel raises added to shoes – helps redcue tension on the heel bone from calf muscles.
• Stretching program.
• Strengthening exercises.
• Orthotic therapy – often used in those with flat feet to control loads on the foot and legs.
• Activity modification (Children will typically ease off on their own if the condition is becoming too painful) if required.
We have only covered the most common cause of adolescent heel pain (Calcaneal Apophysitis), but there can be other comditions which are obviously more rare that can still affect children’s feet. If you have any concerns or questions please feel free to reach out to us via our website contact page or.
I hope you have found this resource helpful. We will continue our heel pain series with our next post over the next few weeks.
All the best
Fluid Movement Podiatry team.
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