Sever's Disease A Guide to the Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

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Severs DiseaseA Guide to the Causes, Symptoms,
Treatment
How to determine if your childs heel pain is
caused by Severs Disease
www. pediatricfootankle.com
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What is Severs Disease?
Severs disease is an inflammation of the growth
plate in the heel.
It is the most common cause of heel pain in
children and results from a dramatic growth spurt
when the heel bone grows at a faster rate than
the muscles and tendons surrounding it.
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Causes of Severs Disease
Sever's disease is caused by repetitive stress to
the heel during a growth spurt when the child's
heel bone is growing faster than the muscles,
tendons, and ligaments in their leg. Sever's is
most common in active children who participate in
sports, especially ones with running or jumping.
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Increased Risk of Severs Disease
The following conditions may increase your
childs chances of developing Severs disease.
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A pronated foot, or a foot that rolls at the
ankle when walking. This may cause a twisting and
tightness of the Achilles tendon, which increases
the pull on the heels growth plate.
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High or flat arches, which can affect the heels
angle within the foot.
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Being overweight or suffering from obesity, which
may put additional pressure on the growth plate.
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Short leg syndrome. This is when one leg is
shorter than the other one. Thus forcing the
shorter leg to bend down in order to reach the
ground.
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Symptoms of Severs Disease
Tenderness or pain in either one or both heels is
the most obvious sign of Severs disease.
This usually occurs in the back. However, it is
possible for the pain to also go down the sides
and the bottom of the heel, right around the arch
of the foot.
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Other Symptoms May Include
Difficulty with walking
Discomfort if the heel is squeezed on both sides
Redness or swelling of the heel
When walking, the feet are stiff or discomforted
Walking unusually, to avoid putting pressure on
the heel by walking on ones tiptoes or with a
limp.
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Severs Disease Treatment

• The primary concern of treating this disease is
  to relieve the pain. Since activity tends to make
  the symptoms worse, the main treatment is to
  rest. This will relieve the pressure on the heel
  bone and decrease the swelling while reducing
  pain.
• The doctor will usually direct the child to cut
  back on all activities and sports until the
  swelling goes down and the pain is gone

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Other Recommendations for Treating Severs
Do leg and foot exercises that focus on
strengthening and stretching leg tendons and
muscles.
Use a compression stocking to decrease swelling
and pain.
Elevate the leg and apply ice (not directly to
the skin). Do this for twenty minutes up to three
times a day. It should be done even on days when
the pain is not bad. This will help reduce the
swelling.
Ingest over-the-counter medications that focus on
reducing swelling and pain. These include
acetaminophen like Tylenol or ibuprofen like
Advil and Motrin, not aspirin.
Overweight or Obese Children the odds are good
that the doctor will recommend a weight loss
regimen in order to decrease the pressure on the
heel.
If your child has a severe case of Severs
disease, the doctor may want him or her to wear a
cast between 2 to 12 weeks. This will immobilize
the foot so it has a better chance of healing.
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Conclusion
If a child is suffering from pediatric heel
pain that affects both the bottom and back of the
heel, then they may have a condition called
Severs Disease. 
If you would like to schedule an appointment, or
learn more about Severs Disease, call (480)
534-7220 or visit PediatricFootAnkle.com.
Pediatric Foot Ankle provides pediatric
podiatry services to patients in Phoenix,
Arizona. The team treats a wide array of
children's foot ailments, including conditions
they're prone to due to rapid growth, such as
Sever's disease and pediatric heel pain.