My son who is 10 (will be 11 next month) has started complaining about his heels hurting a lot. It is usually in the late afternoon after he has been playing outside. He even walks around on his tip-toes. I found on the internet that it is probably Sever's Disease. I was just wondering if any of your children have experienced this, what you did to help ease the pain, and how long it lasted. Thanks in advance for your advice with this matter.
Thank you all so much for your helpful responses. We are doing the exercises, using ice packs, and have placed the heel inserts in his shoes. I can already tell that it is beginning to help. His heels still hurt some in the evening after he has been active, but the pain is getting better. We will continue with these steps, and if the pain gets worse we will head to the doctor. Thanks again.
I would take him to a pediatrist. My husband is 30 and he had horrible heel pain, they said something about the tendant stretching too far. He had special inserts made to form his feet to go inside his shoes. The dr. also said don't buy any shoe with air, or a really high arch and don't walk around barefoot ever. Best of luck to you, but I would definitly go to a pediatrist!
Hi T. r. My 10 year old had the same problem,i took him to the doctor and was told it was in essense growing pains.i was also told to get some heel inserts to put in his shoes.i went to walgreens they had some gel inserts,they were not expensive at all and they worked,he does not wear them anymore but if he needs them i kept them. I you cannot find a kids size get womens they fit well. I pray this helps. Mom
You might ask the podiatrist about heel spurs too. Not common in children, but not impossible
My son who is now 15 was diagnosed with Sever's around the age of 9. He was playing sports and would complain in the evening and morning of his ankles and heels hurting. I took him to an orthopedic doctor who diagnosed him and he had to wear these boot like things on his feet at night when he slept that were supposed to help stretch him tendons I believe. He finally outgrew it but occasionaly does complain that his ankles hurt. Tomball has a very good ortho clinic. Texas Sports Medicine. Good luck!
My son had a similar thing,as well as the sons of a friend. My friend said it was a heel spur. I took him to the doctor, and she said it was probably a heel spur as well. (We did have an xray just to make sure there was nothing wrong, it turned out fine). The doctor said it is caused by the tendor across the bottom of the foot becoming too tight and putting pressure on the heel. The way to handle it is to get a golf ball and roll the bottom of the foot over the top of the ball. One can also turn the toes upwards and stretch the foot that way. My son has been doing this and has not complained again.
I think you should take him to an orthopedist, pediatric if you have one in your area. That way you can get a definitive diagnosis and get the right treatment started.
Hey T.: Have you considered getting him orthotics, arch supports or heel cups? Also, you've got to ice it. I know... Everyone hates to ice, but it really is the only thing that can reduce the inflammation in the tissues.
Its probably better to deal with this now instead of when it starts summertime and all the kids want to run around barefoot or in no-arch support sandals.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/phys...
How is Sever's disease treated?
First, your child should cut down or stop any activity that causes heel pain. Apply ice to the injured heel for 20 minutes 3 times a day. If your child has a high arch, flat feet or bowed legs, your doctor may recommend orthotics, arch supports or heel cups. Your child should never go barefoot.
If your child has severe heel pain, medicines such as acetaminophen (one brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (some brand names: Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) may help.
Will stretching exercises help?
Yes, stretching exercises can help. It is important that your child performs exercises to stretch the hamstring and calf muscles, and the tendons on the back of the leg (see pictures 1, 2 and 3). The child should do these stretches 2 or 3 times a day. Each stretch should be held for about 20 seconds. Both legs should be stretched, even if the pain is only in 1 heel.
Your child also needs to do exercises to strengthen the muscles on the front of the shin (see picture 4). To do this, your child should sit on the floor, keeping his or her hurt leg straight. One end of a bungee cord or piece of rubber tubing is hooked around a table leg. The other end is hitched around the child's toes. The child then scoots back just far enough to stretch the cord. Next, the child slowly bends the foot toward his or her body. When the child cannot bend the foot any closer, he or she slowly points the foot in the opposite direction (toward the table). This exercise (15 repetitions of "foot curling") should be done about 3 times. The child should do this exercise routine a few times daily.
If he's an active child, it could also be plantar faciitis, among other things. Take him to the doctor.
hi - my daughter had severs for years - she was a gymnast. a trip to an ortho is probably in order - but she had special stretches she had to do - to elongate the achilles tendon which gets really tight and pulls across the growth plate. it is usually just more of a painful condition rather than a damaging condition. there are special boots you get get to keep the foot flexed at night while sleeping that are supposed to help alot. unfortunately - it is a condition that will only improve with tons of stretching and time.
Morning T.:
It could be nothing more than "Arch" break down! Does you
son have high arches in his feet? If he does, simply buy
some arch support for his shoes!
I had the problem and the foot specialist prescribed arch
supports and with in a week it cured the problem!
Good Luck
B. C.
T., check out information on the web about plantar fasciitis. It is an inflammatory condition of the plantar fascia (it's the tissue running along the bottom of the foot). I have this condition, and it causes severe pain in the heel. I went to a podiatrist and was prescribed orthotics for my shoes. They help quite a bit. Also, stretching out the feet (pull up to stretch out the back of the heel) helps. Additionally, when my condition has been very serious, I got physical therapy, including ultrasound and icing. Hope this helps, and that your son feels better soon.
M.
My daughter who is in gymnastics has had this problem. You can get heel cups for him to put in his shoes. We went to a podiatrist and he fitted her for orthotic inserts for her shoes....well a couple hundred dollars later it looks like her friends were able to just use the heel cups with good results. They do grow out of it and will one day just wake up and the pain is gone. After reading some of the other posts I realized I had forgotten about the ice and the stretching. It has been a while since she has been in pain.
It seems to be pretty common in kids about this age and by the age of 11 or 12 they are completely done with it.
I hope that helps some.
Take care.
I am not familiar with Sever's Disease but my son complained about one of his heels hurting for a long time. An orthopedist told me that he had bruised the growth plate in his heel. It took a very long time for it to heal, but putting gel heel cushions in his shoes helped a lot.
It might be plantar faciatias ( heel spurs) from those wheely shoes or just walking or running the wrong way. When the tendon in the under side of the foot is stretched it pulls on the heelbone. At night when sleeping it is supposed to heal or be in repair but it creats a sort of calcium deposit that when you walk from Heel to toe the correct way breaks it sown correctly and the foot would be fine. But in some cases there is too much buildup and if you start not walking correctly the buildup creats a spur that cuts the muscle every time you take a step. Best thing is to take your child to a foot specialist to be sure what it is and let them treat it. Your feet have to carry you for the rest of your life, nothing to play around with.
JILL
