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17 The Crescent
Midland, WA, 6056

When stopping sport just isn't an option.





When stopping sport just isn't an option.

Jacqueline Outred

sever's disease

Like many children his age, Jake is a boy who never stays still. Ever.

This vivacious 9 year-old LOVES his sport and wants to be involved in chasing anything that closely resembles a ball!

When we first met Jake at Junction Foot and Ankle Group, his concerned Mum said she brought him in after Jake started complaining of painful heels, especially after sport.

Jake’s Mum said he would often limp off the football oval like a little old man, instead of a spritely pre-adolescent boy. An x-ray taken by the family GP showed nothing abnormal and Jake was told to stop playing sport for a while.

But, for Jake, who loves sport more than life itself, the prospect of not playing any sport for an extended period of time was upsetting. So, Jake's Mum brought him in to Junction Foot and Ankle Group and Jake was assessed by one of our experienced Podiatrists.

Jake's Podiatrist found that Jake was experiencing a common condition known as Sever's Disease.

Despite its name, Sever's isn't actually a disease at all, but rather a result of inflammation of the growth plate in the heel. As children grow, the cartilage that they have in their feet as babies starts calcifying into bone.

In the heel, there are two areas of bone that start to form. They will usually have cartilage in between them until the age of about 14-16 when the bones will fuse together.

When children are still growing, however, sometimes this middle area of cartilage gest disturbed. This can happen in several ways; through uneven weight distribution if the child has flat feet, through the calf muscle pulling upwards on the lower leg, or through repeated trauma like playing sports on hard surfaces,

Some of the significant factors that were contributing to Jake’s condition, and preventing it from improving, were; tight muscles, a foot type and function that was exacerbating the condition, and football boots that were incorrect for his foot type. Each of these things was making the condition worse.

Thankfully, there was a non-invasive solution for Jake's condition. His Podiatrist gave him specific exercises to stretch out and strengthen his muscles and ligaments, as well as custom orthotic shoe inserts and advice on the correct type of football boots for Jake's foot type.

Jake's Podiatrist made sure this information was passed on to Jake’s coach as well, so that everyone had the correct information to support Jake as he returned to sport pain free.

Sever's disease can be restrictive if left untreated, and overall health can be affected. If your child is complaining of heel pain after sport, it could be Sever's. More information can be found here, or call us to book an initial consultation.