Your child used to race across the soccer field, and now they limp off after practice, tugging at their shoe. When you ask what hurts, they point to the back of the heel. It is tempting to say, "Probably just growing pains." Sometimes that is right. But heel pain in active children is often something more specific, and it deserves a closer look.
What Are Growing Pains, Really?
"Growing pains" is a catch-all term for achy discomfort in a child's legs, usually in the thighs, calves or behind the knees. It typically shows up in the late afternoon or at night, affects both legs, and fades by morning. Children with true growing pains usually have no limp and no trouble running or playing the next day.
Heel pain that is felt in one spot, worsens with activity, or causes limping does not fit that pattern. It is more likely to have a mechanical cause tied to how a growing foot handles stress.
Sever's Disease: The Most Common Cause
The most common cause of heel pain in children between roughly 8 and 14 is calcaneal apophysitis, widely known as Sever's disease. Despite the name, it is not a true disease. The heel bone has a growth plate, an area of developing cartilage, at the back. The Achilles tendon pulls on this area, and during growth spurts the bone can grow faster than the surrounding muscles and tendons stretch. The result is repeated tugging on a sensitive growth plate, which becomes irritated and sore.
Sever's disease is self-limiting. Once the growth plate matures and fuses to the rest of the heel bone, usually by the mid-teens, the problem resolves. Until then, the pain can be significant enough to sideline a child from sports they love.
Who Is Most Affected?
Children who play running and jumping sports such as soccer, basketball, gymnastics, football and track are most often affected. Other factors that can raise the risk include:
- Rapid growth spurts
- Tight calf muscles and Achilles tendons
- Flat feet or high arches
- Hard playing surfaces and cleats with little cushioning
- Sudden increases in training volume
Signs Your Child's Heel Pain Is Not Just Growing Pains
Look for these clues, which point toward a heel problem rather than general leg aches:
- Pain at the back or bottom of the heel, often on one side
- Pain that starts or worsens during or after sports
- Limping, or walking on tiptoes to avoid pressure on the heel
- Tenderness when the sides of the heel are squeezed
- Stiffness or soreness first thing in the morning
What You Can Do at Home
For mild symptoms, a few practical steps often help while you arrange an evaluation:
- Reduce or pause the activities that trigger pain, rather than pushing through it
- Apply ice to the heel for about 15 minutes after activity
- Encourage gentle calf and Achilles stretching
- Choose supportive, cushioned shoes and avoid going barefoot on hard floors
- Consider heel cups or lifts, ideally recommended by a foot specialist
When to See a Podiatrist
Seek an evaluation if the pain lasts more than a couple of weeks, keeps your child from sports or normal play, causes a persistent limp, or wakes them at night. Swelling, redness, fever, or pain after an injury should be checked promptly, since heel pain can also come from stress fractures, tendon problems, or other conditions that need different treatment.
A podiatrist can examine the foot, assess how your child walks and runs, and sometimes use imaging to rule out other causes. Treatment is usually conservative: activity modification, stretching, footwear changes, and custom or over-the-counter supports when appropriate.
Don't Wait It Out
Children often downplay pain because they do not want to miss games. Taking their heel pain seriously protects both their comfort and their love of movement. If your child is struggling, Deann Hofer Ogilvie, DPM, in Lafayette, CO can help determine what is behind it. Call (303) 537-4714 to schedule a visit, Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm.