Below you’ll find information regarding the symptoms, treatment and prevention of Sever’s Syndrome, a foot condition in children resulting in pain around the heel of the foot.

Sever’s Syndrome CAUSE:

  • Growth plate inflammation on the back and the bottom of heel in children between 8 and 14.years of age
  • Seen in active children who often go barefoot
  • Poor foot posture such as low arch or extremely high arch feet causes overload of the heel
  • May occur during growth spurts

Sever’s Syndrome SYMPTOMS:

  • Pain to the heel bone at the end of an activity.
  • Occasionally painful to the Achilles tendon
  • Stiffness after sitting and getting up to walk
  • Limping after sitting and getting up to walk, particularly after completion of athletic or exercise activity

Sever’s Syndrome SIGNS:

  • No evidence of redness or swelling
  • Usually associated with tight lower extremity muscles
  • Tenderness to press the area of the growth plate (area is demonstrated on picture below)

Severs Syndrome. Children Foot Heel Pain

Sever’s Syndrome TREATMENT:

  • Rest
  • Ice
  • Custom molded prescription orthotics (shoe inserts) to support poor foot posture(low arch or high arch feet)
  • Heel lifts in the early stages of treatment to help decrease the pull of the tight calf muscle and Achilles tendon
  • Stretching exercises to help stretch the tight calf muscles
  • Physical Therapy Modalities to help reduce the inflammation
  • Night splinting to prevent tightness or low grade spasm of the calf muscles while sleeping

In severe cases, cast immobilization to allow the area to rest completely.

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Best Regards,
We Treat Feet Podiatry Team