

Severs (Calcaneal Apophysitis)
What is the Severs of the foot?
Severs “disease” is a growth plate related disorder of the heel bone.
How is it commonly injured?
-
Severs usually occurs in boys aged 10-14 and girls a little younger at 8-13. This is when the heel bone is maturing into its adult form - the calcaneus.
-
The achilles tendon attaches right into this severs plate and active children can occasionally develop this painful heel disorder.
-
Active children are the most common to get severs.
Classification and Signs and Symptoms of this injury
Severs symptoms are:
-
Pain after activity
-
Pain after activity periods eg: at half time or full time in sport games
-
Pain on palpation of the severs plate
-
The child will “run funny” due to stiffness and pain in the heel area
-
No swelling is noted
-
No bruising is noted
Current management techniques
-
Rest Ice, Compression, Elevation: all these techniques help to control the swelling and pain.
-
Maintenance of strength losses via specific foot exercises
-
Maintenance of range of motion loss via specific foot exercises
-
Massage of he calf area can help reduce the tension on the area
-
Orthotics can help reduce the tension on the achilles and severs plate
Global Rehabilitation Network
-
We provide a complete online program of 12 consecutive weeks of instructions on how to conservatively manage this injury
-
We provide a global network of therapists that can chat remotely via our Telehealth services to guide you through the process week by week for minimal cost.