9 year old with sever's disease

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Sever's disease is a common foot ailment in active children. It is an inflammation of the apophysis (growth center) on the posterior of the heel. It is arguable as to whether it can be clearly diagnosed by x-rays, although other conditions may be found. But the symptoms, findings and history are so characteristic that a clinical diagnosis is generally adequate. Pain on pinching the posterior of the heel is presumptively characteristic. It is a self-limiting condition, in that when the growth center closes sometime in the child's teens, the condition will resolve by itself, even if it is untreated. But resolving it sooner generally requires a period of rest and reduction of stress to the area, which may mean anything from restricting running and jumping, to strapping, to avoiding shoes without sufficient heels or use of heel pads under the heel, to orthotics, to casting. It is important that the child be conscientious in avoiding activity which is likely to precipitate the problem and not to return to full activity either too soon or too fully after symptoms have dissipated or a recurrence will often be forthcoming. First step is to have a proper diagnosis by a qualified doctor.

 

My 12 year old son has sever's. It was diagnosed when he was 10 and it significantly better now. We were told to ice it regularly and to stretch the achilles and hamstrings regularly, in addition to ibuprofen. Both did seem to help during flare ups.

 

My daughter was diagnosed with Sever's disease after seeing a Sports Medicine Doctor and a visit to an Orthopedic Specialist in the fall of 2009. She was having so much pain in both of her feet, she stopped walking all together and preferred to crawl where she needed to go. The sports medicine MD put her in air casts (which were on for 5 weeks) and they did not help relieve the pain. After a visit to an orthopedic specialist, he put her in below the knee fibreglass casts for two weeks and when they were removed she was finally pain free.
She was pain free from the end of November until the first week of March, when the pain came back in her left foot only. Within a week she refused to walk on that foot, so the orthopedic specialist once again put her in a below the knee cast on that foot. The cast was on for two weeks, and once again she was pain free when it was removed. Unfortunately she was only pain free for 4 days and once again she is experiencing heel pain and refusing to walk on that foot. She was a competative gymnast, but has been unable to participate because of her heel pain. She has a heel lift in her shoes, is stretching daily and icing her heel. She is unable to take advil and tylenol doesn't help with her pain. Has anyone else had sever's continue to be so painful? Is there anything else we can do besides wait until her bones fuse together....she is missing out on so much because of her heel pain.

 

Have you heard of the Cheetah Tuli's....they are like heel cups, but they can be worn on a bare foot....you can order them from amazon for like $20 for one. My daughter is also a competitive gymnast with heel pain. Nothing to the extent of your daugthers, but I did not know if you knew about these. Also I saw that you ice it...do you also have her stretch her calf muscle several times a day along with icing? So sorry to hear about your situation...Hope she is able to find some relief

 

My 5 year old daughter was just diagnosed and the orthopedic told us to stretch her like crazy, several time per. As of now her foot will not flex past neutral position. He said the goal is to get her to be able actually pull her foot and it move. She only has this in one foot and apparently that is not unusual. We will be stretching both feet though to try and prevent the other foot from hurting.