Treatment Options For Sever's Disease

Sever's disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis, refers to a syndrome of heel pain common in skeletally immature individuals. It mostly afflicts active children or adolescents going through puberty. It can also affect overweight adolescents, individuals who stand for long periods, and generally those who have legs of varying lengths.As children reach adolescence, their bodies undergo growth spurts, which can impact body parts with growth plates. For example, the heel has a growth plate known as the epiphyseal plate that sits at the end of the growing bone. Since the bones grow so fast during puberty, the tendons cannot keep up with speed and often become tight and impact stress on the heel. Over time, the repetitive stress to the heel causes a lot of pressure and can injure it, resulting in Sever's disease. Sporting activities like soccer and gymnastics increase the chances of developing Sever’s disease.

Symptoms include heel pain, limping, pain that increases with running or jumping, heel tendon that feels tight, and pain on squeezing the heel near the back. Let’s look at the available treatment options for Sever’s disease now.

Rest And Elevate The Foot

Rest is the best treatment for most injuries related to soft tissue. Patients will need to take a break from pain provoking activities like sports until the pain subsides. Full time resting during the recovery period is crucial to ensure complete healing of the affected heel. Sufficient rest helps relieve pressure from the heel bone, hastening the recovery process.

During this period, it is prudent to keep the affected foot in an elevated position. Patients can sit and prop their heel up in front of another chair with a cushion underneath it. Also, several pillows can be placed under the painful heel if the patient is laying down. The main reason to rest and elevate the foot is to ensure the heel is above the heart, thereby reducing blood flow to the heel. Regulating blood flow to the heel greatly helps in preventing swelling.

Learn more about how to treat Sever's disease now.