Foot problems - Severs disease

[tennisdad65]

My 10 yr old son has been having severe foot/heel problems. Recently, I took him to his doc, and a podiatrist, and he is getting a custom orthotic insole. The diagnosis is sever's disease. This is a relatively common cause of heel pain in growing active kids aged 7-15. The podiatrist's recommendation is to use the orthotic, ice the foot in an ice bath after play, and stretch the heel often.

The pain is day to day and is under the heel area and sometimes around the ankle. Some days, he can barely run on the tennis court, and even standing is painful. We are limited to standing tennis drills, and cycling for exercise.

Wondering if any of the parents here have had kids with this issue. Any insight or feedback on your experience would be great.

[Number1Coach]

Foot pain can be brutal , my advice is rest and cycling is a great option ,,My player just played a match and he could not run after the 1st set cause of a foot wart ,Dr. cut it out was off his feet for about a week , it was real painful .

He has also delt with in-grown toe nails and has had them also cut out ,Once again painful , heck he played the Easter Bowl with 4 stitches in each foot ,was bloody after each match ,

Just brainstorm and find ways to get through.

[LeftyServe]

My son and daughter both went through it, though it's more common in boys. Orthotics and stretches help, but neither will cure it. My kids both developed it around 10, and suffered with it off and on for about 2 years, and then it disappeared. I do believe the orthotics made the pain managable, and the kids were able to practice and compete at a high level even with the problem. Make sure the orthotic is padded and comfortable. My son actually did better with a non-molded one fitted by a physical therapist as opposed to the custom molded one made by a podiatrist. Good thing is that the "disease" is temporary and there is no long-lasting impact on the heel or foot.

[db10s]

I had it, just do what your doctor says...