What is Sever’s disease?

Sever’s disease is a common pediatric condition among young athletes. It’s heel pain caused by inflammation in the calcaneal growth plate. Kids’ feet tend to experience growth faster than the rest of their bodies, causing some tightening in the Achilles tendon. Active children put additional stress on the tissue, which then pulls on the heel bone. This irritates the growth plate and causes discomfort. As an overuse injury, the condition tends to worsen over time if not treated.

Adults or older teens who have finished growing don’t have this problem. Once the plate seals and fuses to the rest of the heel, it can no longer become inflamed. Fortunately, your child won’t have to wait that long to find relief from the discomfort. Many conservative treatments are very successful in eliminating the pain.