Severs - Heel Pain
Each winter we see many 9-10 year olds developing pain in their heels from sport. This is often seen in active boys and girls who are exercising five or more times a week and we see it more in sports such as football and rugby. The poor cushioning and lack of good support found in football boots puts stress on the growth plate in the heel causing it to become inflamed and painful with exercise. As exercise continues we find pain becomes more common and sport more difficult.
Our team of podiatrists have helped many talented young athletes and kids return to the playing fields. We have used a tried and proven management plan that has worked 90% of the time to be pain-free within 3 weeks.
Osgood Schlatters - Knee Pain
Is a common knee pain seen in children between the ages of 9-15 years and in sports that require explosive power, jumping and lots of running e.g. athletics, basketball, netball and football. Pain is felt on the front of the knee just below the knee cap and stops the young athlete from participating at its worse. The tendon that attaches into the growth plate is pulled by the very strong quadricep muscles inflaming the plate and causing pain. A accurate diagnosis is important to initiate the best treatment. We often find this injury takes a while to improve and in most cases reducing the level of sport by 50% is required.
If your child suffers from heel or knee pain that is not improving make an appointment to see one of our podiatrists who specialises in growth plate injuries in children at our Northcote or Howick clinic.
