Severs' disease, or apophysitis calcanei as it is medically known, is a condition that occurs mainly in children and young adults. It is most common in children who participate in some form of sport or other physical activity. The injury is mainly seen in those involved in impact or explosive sports but can also occur in sedentary people. The symptoms consist of heels that are painful on exertion such as walking or running. This is simply due to an overload on the heel bone itself.
Although it is an unpleasant condition to suffer from, the good thing about Severs is that it usually heals itself. However, the healing process is individual, for some it takes a few weeks while for others it can take years. However, this does not mean that sufferers have to stop being active. On the contrary, the recommendation for this type of injury is to continue with your physical activities, which is possible thanks to the medical devices available on the market today.
If you have suffered from Sever's disease, you can be helped by purchasing a heel cup insert or a heel wedge that is placed in the shoe that acts as a shock absorber and also takes pressure off the injured part of the body, removing some of the pain. It can also be helpful to buy a support sock that is commonly used by those with heel spurs. This sock has many compression zones built in, which increases blood flow in the foot and heel. This in turn contributes to increased healing in the injured area.
