Your nine-year-old limps off the netball court, rubbing the back of her heel and telling you it “hurts when she runs.” A few weeks of rest and she’s still sore. Chances are it’s not just a bruise — it’s Sever’s disease, the most common cause of heel pain in active children. If you’ve been searching for answers about sever’s disease Bassendean parents share the same worry: is this serious, and will it ever go away?
Sever’s disease — the medical name is calcaneal apophysitis — is inflammation of the growth plate at the back of the heel bone. It’s not really a “disease,” and it does no lasting damage, but it can make sport miserable for a while. The good news is that it’s very treatable, and with guidance from our children’s podiatry team, most kids are soon back doing what they love without pain.
To understand Sever’s disease, it helps to know how kids’ feet grow. Growing bones have soft areas of cartilage at their ends called growth plates. At the back of the heel bone (the calcaneus), there’s a growth plate right where the Achilles tendon attaches.
During a growth spurt, the leg bones often lengthen faster than the muscles and tendons can keep up. The calf muscles and Achilles tendon tighten, and every step tugs on that soft, still-developing growth plate. Add running, jumping and sudden stops — footy, netball, soccer, athletics, gymnastics — and the area becomes irritated and inflamed. That’s Sever’s disease.
Sever’s disease almost always shows up in active kids between about 8 and 14, slightly more often in boys. It tends to appear during or just after a growth spurt — which is why a child who’s never had a foot problem can suddenly start limping mid-season.
A few things stack the odds:
Sever’s disease has a fairly typical pattern. Look out for:
If the heel pain isn’t settling, it’s worth having it checked. While Sever’s disease is the most common culprit, a podiatrist can also rule out other causes like a fracture, Achilles tendinopathy or a bone infection — so a proper assessment beats guessing.
Diagnosis is usually straightforward. Our podiatrists start with your child’s story — when the pain started, what sport they play, whether they’ve had a recent growth spurt — then examine the foot. A classic test is gently squeezing the sides of the heel, which is tender in Sever’s disease.
Imaging isn’t usually needed, though we’ll occasionally refer for an X-ray to rule out a fracture. A podiatry assessment looks at the whole picture — footwear, foot posture, flexibility and training load — and gives you a clear plan, not just a label.
The single most reassuring thing about sever’s disease Bassendean families tell us they wish they’d heard earlier is this: it gets better. Treatment is about settling the pain and managing load while the growth plate matures — rarely anything dramatic. Here’s what that looks like.
The foundation is relative rest — not total rest. We rarely tell a child to stop sport completely. Instead, we work out how much activity the heel can tolerate and adjust training around it. Ice after activity and a short break from the highest-impact movements calm things down quickly.
A simple heel lift or soft heel cup inside the shoe reduces the pull of the Achilles tendon on the growth plate and cushions the heel. Supportive, well-fitted shoes with a firm heel counter also make a big difference.
Because tight calf muscles are often the driver, gentle, regular calf stretches are a key part of recovery. Your podiatrist will show your child (and you) the right technique, so it’s done safely and consistently.
Where foot posture is contributing — flat feet, for example — custom or prefabricated orthotics can spread load more evenly through the foot and take strain off the growth plate. We only recommend them when they’ll genuinely help, and we’ll explain why.
Yes. Sever’s disease resolves on its own as the growth plate fuses and the heel bone finishes developing — usually by around 15 — and it causes no long-term problems. In the meantime, the goal is simply to keep your child comfortable and active. Most kids we see are back to full sport within weeks to a couple of months with the right management.
If your child is limping off the field with a sore heel, you don’t have to guess or wait it out. The podiatry team at The Wellness Place specialises in children’s foot problems and can give you a clear diagnosis and a practical plan to get them moving again.
Call us on (08) 9379 3838 to book an appointment, or pop in and see us at 9 Old Perth Road, Bassendean. We’re here to help your kids keep doing what they love — without the sore heels.