Severs disease is the common name for a problem known as calcaneal apophysitis. It really should not be called Severs “disease” as it is not a disease. This is a self limiting condition of the growth plate in the heel bone of kids that always disappears altogether by itself sooner or later without long term problems. This can be a very frequent condition in children around age 10 to 12 years and in the event you question a group of kids of that age should they have it or have a friend that has had it, then a lot of them will likely say yes. There exists a growth plate behind the heel bone where growth of that takes place at. The achilles tendon attaches to this growth area, and so its not hard to note that a great deal of force is put on the growing area, particularly if the child is overweight or busy in sport. Severs disease is a overuse of the growing area. The actual growing area merges with the remainder of the heel bone by the early teenage years, and so it is just not feasible for it to become a issue past that.
Even though Severs disease is self-limiting and they'll outgrow this, it is painful and can cause distress so does need to be managed. The best method is to start with education with regards to the condition and the way to control activity loads to keep it under control. It is common to use ice on the heel after sports activity to help settle the pain. Cushioned gel heel pads are frequently helpful and will make it more bearable so they can continue with activity. If you can find biomechanical problems, then correct foot supports may be required to take care of that. The most important aspect of the management is simply handling the loads. Children of that age try to be active and get involved in sports activity, so this is usually a nightmare.
