He’s not making it up just to get out of school, he genuinely has heel pain, and your little one’s condition is usually due to a growth plate problem in the heel bone itself. It’s common in children between the age of 7 and 14, and is also associated with very active kids or those growing quickly. It’s a common condition and the good news is that they do grow out of it, once the heel bone has fully developed.
In the meantime, we can’t just ignore little Johnny and have him limping around the soccer field, or the playground, we need to do a few things to make him more comfortable.
SEVER’S TREATMENT
Fill a bag with shoes and bring your little one down to the clinic after school. Soccer boots, school shoes, running shoes, street shoes – the things that he / she wears commonly. We will assess and recommend new footwear if necessary.
We will look at foot function and offer ways to strengthen and support the foot if need be, and talk about ways to cushion and release the heel. There’s also some stretching and a few home remedies that usually need to be done too. All of this will reduce the inflammation and pain in the heel bone, and make little Johnny’s sporting life a lot easier, while his heel develops.
Please note : Many kiddies have got stretchy ligaments these days that don’t support their joints, leaving them hyper mobile or “double jointed”. This can be detected easily and discussed at time of consultation.