What Is Severs Disease?

Overview

Sever?s disease is a condition occurring in pre-adolescents that causes pain, swelling and soreness in the heel bone, also known as the calcaneus. Sever?s disease causes pain on either side of and/or on the bottom of the heel. During a period of pre-adolescent development, the growing heel bone can be overused when the child is involved in a lot of running and jumping activities. Impact on the heel bone and repeated traction on the growing bone from the Achilles tendon can lead to swelling in the area.

Causes

The condition generally occurs in active children at early adolescence during rapid growth periods as the heel bone can grow faster than the leg muscles causing them to become tight and overstretched. Sever?s disease most often caused by inadequate footwear, playing sport on hard surfaces, calf tightness and biomechanical problems.

Symptoms

The condition can be quite disabling and tends to affect those who are very busy with sporting activities. In the initial stages of the condition, most children displaying signs of Severs disease will tend to hobble or limp off the sports field or court and complain of sore heels near the end of activity. As the condition progresses, children may complain of pain during activity and in severe cases prior to sporting activities. Kids heel pain can be quite discouraging for active children but, early treatment can resolve this type of foot pain in children very quickly.

Diagnosis

To diagnose the cause of the child?s heel pain and rule out other more serious conditions, the foot and ankle surgeon obtains a thorough medical history and asks questions about recent activities. The surgeon will also examine the child?s foot and leg. X-rays are often used to evaluate the condition. Other advanced imaging studies and laboratory tests may also be ordered.

Non Surgical Treatment

The immediate goal of treatment is pain relief. Because symptoms generally worsen with activity, the main treatment for Sever's disease is rest, which helps to relieve pressure on the heel bone, decreasing swelling and reducing pain. As directed by the doctor, a child should cut down on or avoid all activities that cause pain until all symptoms are gone, especially running barefoot or on hard surfaces because hard impact on the feet can worsen pain and inflammation. The child might be able to do things that do not put pressure on the heel, such as swimming and biking, but check with a doctor first.

Prevention

To prevent recurrence, patients, parents, coaches, and trainers should be instructed regarding a good preexercise stretching program for the child. Early in the season, encouragement should be given for a preseason conditioning and stretching program. Coaches and trainers should be educated about recognition of the clinical symptoms so they are able to initiate early protective measures and seek medical referral when necessary.