Children's Feet - Heel Pain

Calcaneal Apophysitis is the most common cause of heel pain in children. It is an irritation of the cartilage growth plate in the heel bone.
It is often referred to as ‘Severs’.   
This growth plate cartilage usually fuses and becomes solid bone around puberty, so this condition most commonly affects boys and girls between 7 and 14.

Most children with the condition are very active, particularly undertaking impact based activities like running, basketball, football and netball. These activities will likely cause an increase in pain.

This condition ultimately does resolve once the growth plate fuses and in itself is not associated with permanent issues, however the pain that it causes should not be discounted and in a lot of cases the child can have flare ups for a number of years. So treatment as soon as possible is important.

The other consideration is that there are other conditions that can cause heel pain, such as Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendinopathy, and these need to be excluded. An experienced Podiatrist will be able conduct a thorough assessment to rule out these other causes and ensure the appropriate management plan is implemented.

Assessment of contributing factors is very important, including footwear, biomechanics of walking and running, joint range of motion and muscle strength.

At Active Health Podiatry we have the experience to ensure your child receives the best care. To book an appointment give us a call on 8370 2356, or book online here.