Sever's is a common cause of heel pain in children and adolescents, between the ages of 8-14. Commonly they are very active and/ or have gone through a recent growth spurt. Tight calf muscles or the Achilles tendon (the tendon which attaches the calf muscle to the heel bone) cause the pain. There is 'pulling' where it attaches to the heel. It can be painful to touch and sore on activity; such as running and jumping or with prolonged walking. Wearing flat shoes can also be a cause. Sometimes Sever's can cause limping, walking on toes, and or some swelling around the heel. It can occur in one or both heels. Sever's gets better with a period of rest and doing less high impact activities. Ice packs can be used for pain and swelling. Well-fitting footwear is important.
Stretching of the calf muscles if they are tight, and it is not sore to do so, can also help. Sever's can take a few weeks and up to a few months to settle. It does not cause any long term damage, but it can recur until growing stops.
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