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Sever's disease is a swelling and irritation of the growth plate in the heel. The growth plate is a layer of cartilage near the end of a bone where most of the bone's growth happens. It is weaker and more at risk for injury than the rest of the bone.
With proper management, Sever's disease usually goes away within a few months and doesn't cause lasting problems.
Sever's disease usually causes pain or tenderness in one or both heels. It also can lead to:
Symptoms are usually worse during or after activity and get better with rest.
Sever's disease happens during the growth spurt of puberty. During a growth spurt, the bones, muscles, and tendons grow at different rates. The muscles and tendons can become tight, pulling on the growth plate in the heel. Activities and sports pull on the tight muscles and tendons, injuring the growth plate. This injury leads to the pain of Sever's disease.
Less often, Sever's disease can happen from standing too long, which puts constant pressure on the heel.
Sever's disease usually happens in kids who are:
To diagnose Sever's disease, health care providers:
Usually no testing is needed. Although Sever's disease can't be seen on X-rays, health care providers sometimes order them to check for other problems.
A child with Sever's disease needs to cut down or avoid all activities that cause pain. Walking and non-weight bearing exercises (like swimming) are usually OK.
If your child has Sever's disease, your health care provider may recommend doing some or all of these:
Sometimes a short leg cast is put on for about a week if:
Kids can go back to sports when the activity does not cause any pain.
With rest, Sever's disease usually gets better within 2 weeks to 2 months. Most kids can do all of the sports and activities that they did before.
After healing, your child can help prevent Sever's disease from coming back by:
Usually by age 15, the growth plate is finished growing. After that, your child won't get Sever's disease again.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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