A child may often complain of sore ankles or heels during or after sports. We often observe heel pain among active children and yet it should not be a “normal” part of their growth and development. It is important to have a foot health professional assess your child.
Pain in the heel may be caused by Sever’s disease or traction calcaneal apophysis. More often than not, this condition includes inflammation of the heel’s growth plate and may be caused by poor foot posture in walking. It may also be caused by tight muscles and over activity. We apprehend and address this problem every week and it is easy to treat. It is crucially important not to set this aside and dismiss it as a “growing pain.”
Our podiatrists have many years of experience in addressing and treating problems involving the feet of young people. Moreover, they are specifically trained to assess and effectively oversee a child’s heel pain. We want children who suffer from heel pain to be active and running as soon as possible, and most importantly, be free of their pain.
Heel pain among children is managed by having the heel raised and attached to an orthotic in order to permit the growth plate to close. As soon as the growth plate closes, we will re-assess whether the orthotic is still needed. In addition, we also do direct referrals for X-ray or MRI should further diagnostics are required.