Is your child limping off the pitch with heel pain?
 

Sever's disease is the most common cause of heel pain in growing children, and despite the name it is not a disease. It is an irritation of the growth plate at the back of the heel, where the Achilles tendon attaches. During a growth spurt the bone lengthens faster than the calf can adapt, so the tendon pulls harder on a growth plate that is already under load from daily sport. Most children affected are between 8 and 14, play several sports a week, and are rarely getting a full day of recovery between sessions. Paul assesses growth, training load, calf and ankle range, footwear and foot function to identify exactly what is driving it, then builds a plan that keeps your child playing rather than sitting out the season.