What Is Severs Disease?
Overview
Sever's disease, is a musculoskeletal condition occurring in adolescence that symptomatically manifests as posterior heel pain during ambulation. Often participation in physical activity is severely limited resulting in frustration for children and parents alike. Conservative treatment options have included rest, abstinence from athletic activity, heel lifts, foot orthotic devices, ice, and calf-stretching exercise. The authors are proposing arch taping as an additional viable treatment option for controlling heel pain during athletic and other weight-bearing activities in patients with Sever's disease.
Causes
Your child may have pain along the edges of one or both heels during exercise. The pain usually goes away with rest, but may be worse in the morning. Your child's heel may also be slightly swollen and warm. The heel pain may be worse when your child climbs steps or stands on tiptoe. It may cause your child to limp.
Symptoms
Pain in the bottom surface and at the back of the heel. Extreme pain when the child places their heel on the ground. The pain is aggravated when running or jumping on hard surfaces. The pain is reduced when the child walks or runs on their toes.
Diagnosis
Sever?s disease is diagnosed based on a doctor?s physical examination of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. If the diagnosis is in question, the doctor may order x-rays or an MRI to determine if there are other injuries that may be causing the heel pain.
Non Surgical Treatment
In general, the goals for treatment include reducing the localized areas of inflammation. We recommend that patients utilize Ibuprofen every six to eight hours as needed. Stretching exercises on a daily basis, as well as prior to activity is thought to be helpful as well. Following work-outs and increased activities, it may be helpful to apply ice over affected areas. Heel cups are also available to provide cushion in shoes. In addition, for more severe symptoms, it may be helpful to refrain from sports and/or immobilize the area for a few weeks to help reduce the inflammation.
Recovery
This condition is self limiting, it will go away when the two parts of bony growth join together, this is natural. Unfortunately, Sever's disease can be very painful and limit sport activity of the child while waiting for it to go away, so treatment is often advised to help relieve it. In a few cases of Sever's disease, the treatment is not successful and these children will be restricted in their activity levels until the two growth areas join, usually around the age of 16 years. There are no known long term complications associated with Sever's disease.
Sever's disease, is a musculoskeletal condition occurring in adolescence that symptomatically manifests as posterior heel pain during ambulation. Often participation in physical activity is severely limited resulting in frustration for children and parents alike. Conservative treatment options have included rest, abstinence from athletic activity, heel lifts, foot orthotic devices, ice, and calf-stretching exercise. The authors are proposing arch taping as an additional viable treatment option for controlling heel pain during athletic and other weight-bearing activities in patients with Sever's disease.
Causes
Your child may have pain along the edges of one or both heels during exercise. The pain usually goes away with rest, but may be worse in the morning. Your child's heel may also be slightly swollen and warm. The heel pain may be worse when your child climbs steps or stands on tiptoe. It may cause your child to limp.
Symptoms
Pain in the bottom surface and at the back of the heel. Extreme pain when the child places their heel on the ground. The pain is aggravated when running or jumping on hard surfaces. The pain is reduced when the child walks or runs on their toes.
Diagnosis
Sever?s disease is diagnosed based on a doctor?s physical examination of the lower leg, ankle, and foot. If the diagnosis is in question, the doctor may order x-rays or an MRI to determine if there are other injuries that may be causing the heel pain.
Non Surgical Treatment
In general, the goals for treatment include reducing the localized areas of inflammation. We recommend that patients utilize Ibuprofen every six to eight hours as needed. Stretching exercises on a daily basis, as well as prior to activity is thought to be helpful as well. Following work-outs and increased activities, it may be helpful to apply ice over affected areas. Heel cups are also available to provide cushion in shoes. In addition, for more severe symptoms, it may be helpful to refrain from sports and/or immobilize the area for a few weeks to help reduce the inflammation.
Recovery
This condition is self limiting, it will go away when the two parts of bony growth join together, this is natural. Unfortunately, Sever's disease can be very painful and limit sport activity of the child while waiting for it to go away, so treatment is often advised to help relieve it. In a few cases of Sever's disease, the treatment is not successful and these children will be restricted in their activity levels until the two growth areas join, usually around the age of 16 years. There are no known long term complications associated with Sever's disease.
