Sever’s Disease
What is Severs?
Sever’s disease is classified as an apophyitis effecting the achilles insertion at the heel. It is an inflammation of the growth plate causing heel pain in children between 9-13 years old. Generally boys are more susceptible than girls and more active kids tend to suffer. The good thing about severs it correlates with periods of rapid growth in young children and the condition is self limiting meaning it will not ‘worsen’ over time.
What causes Sever’s Disease:
- Rapid growth spurt or puberty.
- Change of footwear: Eg. Starting soccer season wearing new boots.
- Calf muscle weakness.
- Calf muscle tightness: As bones grow slightly slower than muscle we will see periods of excessive muscle tightness during a growth spurt.
- Frequency and intensity of physical exercise and activity.
Common signs and symptoms:
- Pain following or during physical activity especially running or jumping sports.
- Stiffness first thing in the morning or after activity.
- Limping after sport.
- Point tenderness on heel/calcaneal bone.
- Tendency to tip toe.
- Heel feels better in footwear with a little heel.
Kids complaining about heel pain is super common and we have lots of tricks to keep them moving and involved in there sport. It’s something that will go away with time as the growth spurt finishes.
Got a question about an injury, shoot us a message or book a session online here.
Written by Patrick Lincoln
(Physiotherapist)
