MAG Son complaining of heel pain

[munchkin3]

I know Sever's is not a gender specific condition but it seems that there are WAY more girls on team with this than the boys. Is this coincidental, or just that girls use their feet for 3 out of the 4 events.

Anybody have any good ideas on how to help my son manage his Sever's?

 

[BlairBob]

With Osgood and Sever's many doctors and PT still don't know what exactly is going wrong. There can be a lot going on rather than something specific.

The usual treatment is ice and decreased time on harder surfaces.

You could look into foot treatment such as shoes or massage but who really knows.



And you're right the girl's spend much more of their time on their feet besides the fact there are 5-10x as many girls in gymnastics as boys.

 

[taximom]

jadams:
My DD had a bout with Sever's in the Spring. She was told by the doctor running shoes at all times! We had x-rays to rule out stress fractures. We saw a sports doctor in a sports clinic who recopmmended physio which we did. She spent most of the summer pain free but last night said her heels had been hurting at the gym. She will independently do her physio program for now but we expect until she is done growing to have bouts of heel pain. Best of luck to your son.

 

[socko]

My daughter had terrible Sever's and when we saw the Sports medicine docs , they put her into orthotics ("$300 not covered by insurance") , it really helped a lot. I will tell you that the thing that really "cured " it was when she broke her foot the next year and went into a cast for 2 months. The absolute immobization did the trick and (knock on wood) it hasn't been an issue since.

 

[drivingmom]

My DD has had sever's for almost 2 years. Seen the sports doc and physical thp. (not much help). Every year during and after her growth sprut it hurts really bad, about 2-3 months. She cries and really is in pain. She wears cheetah heel shoes during practice and heal cups in her shoes. MORTIN, MORTIN, MORTIN AND ICE, ICE, ICE. In the summer I buy flip flops with cusion like the addias. For my dd it does hurt year around, but just really bad for a few months. Good luck

 

[bpatient]

MORTIN, MORTIN, MORTIN AND ICE, ICE, ICE.

One of the important side-effects of the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin is the associated delay in healing of injuries, likely including skeletal injuries that are common in growing young gymnasts--such as Sever's disease and Osgood-Schlatter disease. The quotation below is from an editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Prophylactic misuse and recommended use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs by athletes -- Warden 43 (8): 548 -- British Journal of Sports Medicine)

". . . se of NSAIDs has the potential to reduce . . . tissue repair following microscopic or macroscopic injury. This has been shown most convincingly following fracture where prolonged NSAID use delayed healing, but NSAIDs also delay healing of acute ligament, muscle and tendon injuries."

Using NSAIDs to help a young athlete deal with post-practice pain can be appropriate. However, using NSAIDs to facilitate continued training by a young athlete with an overuse injury such as Sever's disease, Osgood-Schlatter disease, etc. may seem questionable if you understand that such use of NSAIDs might both mask the need for the rest that is required to heal an overuse injury and actually reduce or delay healing.

 

[munchkin3]

Thanks to everyone for giving me feedback!

DS is still complaining somewhat of discomfort....It has not affected him that much..therefore we are using Motrin only when I see him in pain.

He unfortunatly is doing Flag Football as well...This just makes things a bit worse, HOWEVER....He was adamant about playing FF for the first time ever....Season lasts for 1 more month and then it is over.....(he thinks it is a walk in the park!!)

At leat he is learning that you can do other sports WHILE doing gymnastics.....

We are keeping a VERY close eye on him and are ready to moderate activity if we need to.....
Thanks