A common cause of heel pain in children is Sever’s disease or calcaneal apophysitis. It is a condition which affects children aged between 8-14 years old. It is usually seen in very active children as the Achilles tendon pulls on the growth plate in the calcaneus or heel causing inflammation. A growth plate is a cartilage piece which allows the bones to grow to the correct size as a child grows, as a child ages the cartilage hardens into bones.

The symptoms of calcaneal apophysitis includes sharp and burning at the heel usually during or after activity. The pain should never be present in the morning after bed and usually reduces with rest. There can also be redness and swelling at the heel.

The current treatment for calcaneal apophysitis includes activity modification including rest, icing and heel lifts. Some of the activities which aggravate/cause calcaneal apophysitis including high impact sports, a large amount of running, ill-fitting shoes or with minimal support/padding. It is important to note that the condition is temporary as it is an injury, treatment can alleviate symptoms.

Podiatrists have a lot of treatment options and can test for any red flags which would indicate a condition other than calcaneal apophysitis. Many conditions can have similar symptoms including stress fractures, osteomyelitis and osteochondroma so it is important to have the symptoms monitored by a professional if they have been lingering for sometime.