Kids should not have foot pain. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t. I’ve previously shared that my younger son, Jonah, suffered from foot pain. That was because he was spending all day at home without shoes on. And we have hard floors. That one was easy to solve…he put on his shoes.
There are other types of foot pain in kids that takes a little more effort.
I recently saw a young man who is twelve years old. He complained of heel pain, especially when he ran. Being a very active boy, he liked to run a lot. He also is very active in sports. He found that he needed to stop playing and running because his heels hurt too much to continue.
I diagnosed him with a condition called Sever’s Disease. You may not have heard of it, but it is a very common condition. First of all, it’s not a disease. It’s an inflammation of the growth plate in the back of the heel. It’s pretty common in active kids from ages 8 to 14. Search Sever’s Disease on Google. You’ll find that the prevailing treatment is to wait until the growth plate closes. In other words, wait for him to grow out of it. Then the pain will go away.
Would you want your child to wait YEARS for their foot pain to go away? I certainly don’t! And I won’t accept that for any of my patients either!
Sever’s Disease is an inflammation of the heel bone’s growth plate. The pull of the Achilles tendon causes the inflammation. So, to treat it, it makes sense that we have two goals. One is to reduce the inflammation. The other is to reduce the pull of the Achilles tendon.
For this young man, I had him take a one-week course of an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. I don’t like keeping anyone on medication, especially kids. I also recommended that he apply ice to his heel after exercise.
I use a specialized insole designed especially for kids. They are called Little Steps and they reduce the pull of the Achilles tendon. They offer support to the foot to provide a stable base of support. What they also do is reduce the pull of the Achilles tendon. I also taught him some stretches to do twice a day.
Here’s the good news. In less than two weeks, his pain reduced enough to allow him to run farther without stopping. The relief he felt occurred in a matter of days. And he’s still improving!
So, if your child or grandchild has been complaining of heel pain, there is effective treatment for it. You don’t have to wait for him to grow out of it. She doesn’t have to stop playing sports or running. Your children need to get a proper evaluation and treatment to cure the problem.
We are always here and ready to visit with you and your children. We focus on conservative treatment which improves most painful foot conditions. Don’t hesitate to contact us to schedule and immediate consultation.
