What Severs disease is, why active kids get it, and when it's worth booking a check.
If your active child is complaining of sore heels, especially around ages 8 to 14, it could be Severs disease. It sounds alarming, but it's common, harmless long-term, and very manageable.
Severs is irritation of the growth plate at the back of the heel, where the Achilles tendon attaches. During growth spurts, the bone grows faster than the tendon, which pulls and causes pain.
Pain at the back of one or both heels, worse during and after sport, often enough to cause a limp. Kids usually feel fine in the morning and sore by the end of an active day.
Activity modification, calf stretching, good supportive footwear, sometimes a small heel raise, and managing load during heavy sport weeks. It settles as the growth plate matures.
If the pain is stopping your child enjoying sport, or they're limping, an assessment will confirm it's Severs and rule out anything else, then give you a simple plan.
— Grace Buchan, Podiatrist, GB Podiatry & Sports, Griffith
Book online in under a minute. No GP referral needed.
Book your appointment