What is Sever’s Disease and How Is It Treated?

What is Sever’s Disease?

Sever’s disease is a condition that affects the growth plates of the long bones in kids, usually between the ages of 9-15 years old. It can be caused by any activity that stresses the area of the growth plate mechanically, which includes sports.

Sever’s disease causes pain in the heel, especially when walking, running, and jumping. As teens and adolescents are growing, their bones, tendons and muscles tend to grow at different rates. This can cause the tendons and muscles in the heel area to tighten and pull on the growth plate in the heel. The resulting inflammation causes some pain and discomfort.

It’s a common condition for kids that engage in athletic activities, especially those on hard surfaces such as basketball, track or gymnastics and not normally cause for alarm if treated promptly.

What are the Symptoms of Sever’s Disease?

The most common symptoms of Sever’s disease are tenderness and pain in one or both heels.

You may also notice your child experience:

• Some redness and swelling in the heel
• Limping or walking on the ball of the foot
• A feeling of stiffness in the heel
• A painful reaction to pressure/touch in the heel area

Treatment for Sever’s Disease

In my office, I perform a physical exam and discuss the child’s activity to confirm and diagnose Sever’s disease.

This condition usually takes just a few weeks to heal and I generally recommend the following course of treatment:

• Rest. It’s important to take a break from the activities that cause the condition and give the body time to heal.
• In-office Cold Laser therapy treatments to target the area, reduce inflammation and relieve the pain. This has been the biggest help to all the adolescent athletes that I treat in my office.
• Stretching exercise to reduce the risk of injury occurring again.
• Icing routine before and after participating in sports activities once the patient has healed.

Once the patient is no longer experiencing pain, they can return to the sports activities they enjoy. The good news is that while Sever’s disease is painful and inconvenient, usually by age 15 the growth plates have finished growing and the condition does not occur again.

Chiropractors are experts at treating sports injuries of this type and reducing inflammation. If you think your child may have Sever’s disease, schedule an appointment at Dutchess Braincore and Wellness Center to start the healing and get your child back in the game.

Contact our office at (845) 592-2237.