The heel bone has a growth plate near its end, which is a layer of cartilage that where most of the bone’s growth occurs. This growth plate is weaker than the rest of the bone and that’s why it’s more prone to injury. 

When a child hits puberty, he has a growth spurt where his bones, muscles and tendons grow at a fast pace. However, all of them have different rates of growth, sometimes causing the muscles and tendons to become tight and pull on the growth plate in the heel. This can injure the growth plate and sometimes even fragment it.

Sever’s disease usually happens in children and more so in boys, who actively play sports like football, basketball that involve running or jumping especially on hard surfaces like our building compounds that have tar, concrete or cement tiles as flooring. It causes pain, tenderness, redness and swelling at the back of the heel at the Achilles tendon insertion point. The heel pains when it is pressed from both sides and activities like running or jumping are very painful for the affected individual. In some severe cases the patient may not be able to walk without a limp. 

Sever’s disease usually heals on its own with rest and icing. However, conditions such as flat feet or high arches aggravate the pain caused from Sever’s disease. Custom insoles that can absorb the shock in the heel region and provide biomechanical support to the foot greatly help in heel pain relief and healing.