Overview
Sever?s disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis, is an inflammation of the heel?s growth plate. It is commonly seen in active children between the ages of 8 and 15 years. These children present with pain when walking, running and jumping. Observable inflammation may or may not be present and parents may often notice their child limping or favouring a limb during or after sports.
Causes
Sever?s disease is most likely to occur during the growth spurt that occurs in adolescence. For girls, growth spurts usually occurs between 8 and 13 years of age. For boys, it?s typically between 10 and 15 years of age. The back of the heel hardens and becomes stronger when it finishes growing, which is why Sever?s rarely occurs in older adolescents and teenagers.
Symptoms
Often the condition is self limiting; meaning as the growth plate fuses to the rest of the heel bone, the pain will subside. However in some cases the child will have so much discomfort that they will be unable to walk comfortably if left untreated. Therefore, heel pain in children should always by evaluated by a physician.
Diagnosis
The doctor may order an x-ray because x-rays can confirm how mature the growth center is and if there are other sources of heel pain, such as a stress fracture or bone cyst. However, x-rays are not necessary to diagnose Sever?s disease, and it is not possible to make the diagnosis based on the x-ray alone.
Non Surgical Treatment
To help relieve pain, give your child nonprescription pain medicine, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen, as directed by your child?s provider. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, may cause stomach bleeding and other problems. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, your child should not take the medicine for more than 10 days. Check with your healthcare provider before you give any medicine that contains aspirin or salicylates to a child or teen. This includes medicines like baby aspirin, some cold medicines, and Pepto-Bismol. Children and teens who take aspirin are at risk for a serious illness called Reye's syndrome. Ask your child?s healthcare provider, How much does it cost to lengthen your legs? and when you will hear your child?s test results. How long it will take for your child to recover. What activities your child should avoid and when your child can return to normal activities. How to take care of your child at home. What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if your child has them. Make sure you know when your child should come back for a checkup.
Recovery
Receiving the initial diagnosis of Sever?s disease can be scary, and while the situation is painful, there is good news. If treated properly and quickly, Sever?s disease is temporary and will have no long-term effects on the athlete.