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Sever’s disease is a bony pain that is felt in your heel that can be associated with normal growth.
Symptoms and diagnosis
How to manage it
Will it get better?
Symptoms and diagnosis
- Pain on the back or bottom of your heel
- Pain during or after sport or activity in your heel
- Symptoms usually appear around puberty (9-14 years) when you are having a growth spurt. Usually only one heel is painful but both can be affected.
How to manage it
- Use strategies to reduce pain
- Improve tissue flexibility/ length
- Modify activity
Will it get better?
Your pain may improve within a few months if you follow this advice. However in some cases, symptoms can last for 12-18 months.
However, you will grow out of it! Once your bones have stopped growing, you won’t have any more symptoms.
Try using gel heel cups in your shoes. These can help reduce the impact on your heels during activity.
Exercises
Hamstring stretch: Rest your feet flat against a wall. Reach your hands forwards to touch your toes in a comfortable position. Feel the stretch in the back of your calf
Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, then release the stretch and repeat 3 more times.
This pain is caused when there is repetitive traction where the calf muscle inserts into your heel.
This traction can be due to active (increased exercise and activity) or passive (increased rate of growth) causes.
For further advice and guidance see click here.
Or call Dolphin Physiotherapy Outpatients on 029 218 47577
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital of Wales
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
