Question
My 10-year-old godson is pretty active, but has a significant increase in physical activity and running during football season. He’s fine during practices and games, but after he stops running, he has sudden pain in the back of his left ankle, the Achilles tendon area.
It’s tender when pressed upon and painful when he walks, especially up a flight of stairs.
It improves slightly with ice and elevation. Should I be doing exercises with him to help strengthen it? His mother doesn’t think it’s serious enough to be evaluated by a doctor, because it seems to resolve itself over time… until after his next practice.
I hate seeing him in pain and I don’t want this to get progressively worse.
Answer
He probably has calcaneal apophysitis, better known as Sever’s disease, which is a painful bone disorder that happens when there’s inflammation or swelling of the heel’s growth plate.
This is a common cause of heel pain for kids, especially youngsters who are active in sports. It’s most common during growth spurts that come during the two-year period of early puberty when kids grow rapidly, often between ages 8 and 13 for girls and 10 and 15 for boys.
In your godson’s case, he likely needs rest and should stop playing football until the issue resolves. He can return after three weeks if he’s pain-free.
In the meantime, gentle stretching of his calves may help.
Another option is taking him to a podiatrist who may be able to modify his shoe gear, which may also help. We can offer custom orthotics or inserts if that’s what he needs.
Also consider that he may also be over training – coaches may not always be in tune with injuries.
Keep in mind that pain isn’t never normal — especially in kids. “Growing pains” aren’t normal, either. Hope this helps and good Luck!