Heel Pain in Children: Why does my child’s heels hurt when playing sport?

Heel pain is not only limited to grown-ups. Heel pain in children is very common. Often, healthy active children will complain of pain in one or both heels during and after running and playing sport. The pain is located at the back of the heel, however children may complain of ‘sore ankles’. The most common cause of heel pain in children is a condition called calcaneal apophysitis or Sever’s Disease.

Sever’s disease (although not a disease) is due to overuse and repetitive micro-trauma of the growth plate within the calcaneus (heel bone). It occurs between the ages 10 to 14 and is more common in boys than girls.

Treatment for children's heel pain can include reducing activity (but not completely stopping), stretching, strengthening,heat pack, massage, avoiding barefoot and strapping to support the arch and reduce the load on the achilles tendon.

Sever’s disease is self-recovering – meaning it will go away completely when the two parts of bony growth join together. There are no known long term complications associated with Sever’s disease.

Heel pain in children can be very painful, causing them to limp on the sporting field and not be as agile or fast as their team mates. Treatment however is simple and effective – so don’t make your child sit out the sporting season when they can manage their pain and continue to play.

For a more detailed explanation of Children's Heel Pain (Sever's) click here. Heel pain however is only one lower limb complaint that can slow your child down - have a read of our Children's Foot Health Section to learn more.

Allow our friendly Podiatrist’s at Foundation Podiatry Townsville to keep your child on the sporting field and kicking goals….   Phone 4775 1760 today!