subject: Pain In The Heel Of Children [print this page] They that bones grow in children can expose them to issues damage to the growing areas. When we are born, not all bones are formed and we are born with a cartilage framework. The bone develops within that framework and continues to grow in some bones up until at least the teenage years. In some bones the bone start growing from several areas or foci, so an area of cartilage separates the two area of bone. It is at this cartilage plate between the bone growing areas that the actual growth takes place as. Problems arise when there is some trauma such as a fracture or overuse such as in too much sport that the growing area can cause problems. For example, a fracture to the growing area is going to have serious implications for the growth of the bone. An overuse problem is not going to be as serious, but will certainly interfere with the child playing sport. The heel bone is a common place for an overuse injury to the growing area of bone. The heel bone grows from two different growth foci that normally merge about the mid-teenage years. One of these foci consists of the main body of the heel bone and the other is a plate shaped region at the back of the heel bone. The cartilage zone between these two can be irritated if the child is overweight or plays a lot of sport. The Achilles tendon attached to the back of the growth plate and also adds to the strain on the cartilage zone. The condition that affects this growth plate in the heel is known as Severs Disease or Calcaneal Apophysitis. The pain is normally initially only present on exercise and squeezing that side of the heel bone at the back. In the early stages it does not affect sporting activity, but later will progress to affect the childs ability to play sport, especially on hard sports grounds.
The treatment of Severs disease is to reduce activity levels to an amount that can be tolerated without too much pain. Stretching is important for the Achilles tendon. ICE therapy can be used after playing sport. A heel raise is important to cushion the ground impacts on the growth area and to relieve the pull from the Achilles tendon. Usually this approach will deal with most cases. Some, however, do not respond and need an even further reduction in the activity levels. As a last resort, some have to stop all sports activity ad be placed in a cast or brace. Whatever happens, they will always grow out of it by the mid-teenage years when the two growing areas of the bone merge.
by: Carina
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