“Why is my child's heel hurting?”
My child has heel pain. What could be the cause? Should I take her to a doctor?
6 Answers
Hello. If no history of trauma from sport or activity then most common reason is called “Severs’ disease. This is inflammation around a growth area of the heel bone(calcaneus). This can be associated with overuse or growth. If overuse make sure heel is well cushioned and or get heal gel insert. Stretching the Achilles and hamstrings may also help. If not improving over 2-3 weeks or gets worse for any reason then yes you should see a physician. Google Severs or calcaneal apophysitis for more info (AAOS. Org). Good luck.
Yes, go see a podiatrist, children heel pain can vary from growing pain, growth plate opening or closing, tendonitis, ligament injury, etc... only way to find out is to see a podiatrist or orthopedics.
It's best to be evaluated by a specialist
Yes--could be Sever's apophysitis.
If your child is going through a growth spurt, the most common problem that causes heel pain in children is Apophysitis (Traction of the growth plate of the calcaneus by the Achilles Tendon). Anti-inflammatories, Rest (no sport or high impact activities), Ice are the only treatments for the problem, and it will go away after a while.
If your child is very active, the growth plate can get irritated on the back of the heel. I recommend you make an appointment with a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) to discuss diagnosis and treatment options
