Sever’s Disease in Young Gymnasts
Posted on by Amy Bell, PT, DPT
Heel pain is common in young children and it can be attributed to a condition called Sever’s disease.
Sever’s disease, which is also referred to as calcaneal apophysitis, is a result of inflammation of the growth plate of the heel. It is common in children who play sports that involve running or jumping, such as soccer, football, basketball and gymnastics. Gymnasts, however, are particularly affected due to the high level of jumping from a young age and because they are often barefoot when running and jumping.