Based on Faith Academy Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 My poor dd, who as I stated is nine, has been having heel pain. I've looked into it and from what I have read it is common in dc during puberty. She is in that stage of her life plus in the past couple years she has grown like crazy. She has grown taller and gained weight. She looks like she is 12 because of her height which is 4'9. She is in the 95% for her height. I add all this because I figure people will ask me these things. I'm basically looking for shoe recommendations. I'm looking to find something that will help her heels not hurt. I appreciate the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 My Dd had this. Ice, rest, elevate daily. She used heel cups in her shoes to elevate the heel slightly. When it is really bad, she needs to rest it. My Dd was a gymnast the time, but was able to avoid making it worse by lots of rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 has she had muscles cramps in her legs? (she may not notice, you'd have to be a little more proactive in determining) especially her calves? she can try doing roller exercises with a PT roller, (sklz brand has the exercises on the cover) that can loosen up her muscles if they are the cause of her heel pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Inserts for her shoes may help instantly ease the pain. Ice, rest, and stretching should help within days. My dd4 suffered from heel pain after she had a fracture to her leg. The heel pain was greatly relieved with shoe inserts, ice, and stretching. My older daughter is just now in physical therapy due to foot and heel pain. She has very, very flat feet and she saw a podiatrist who was able to diagnose her pain/injury quickly. Both were diagnosed with plantar fasciitis (PF). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I'm so glad you posted this. My 10 year is making similar complaints. I wasn't sure what to do, during her well child visit our Dr. seemed to blow it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 My poor dd, who as I stated is nine, has been having heel pain. I've looked into it and from what I have read it is common in dc during puberty. She is in that stage of her life plus in the past couple years she has grown like crazy. She has grown taller and gained weight. She looks like she is 12 because of her height which is 4'9. She is in the 95% for her height. I add all this because I figure people will ask me these things. I'm basically looking for shoe recommendations. I'm looking to find something that will help her heels not hurt. I appreciate the help. Does she play sports? Dd experienced this and the doctor said it is common in girl soccer players. Something to do with a growth plate. She had exercises to do - stretches with her hands against the wall while pushing herself up on her heels, or something like this - I don't remember exactly. She did have to get heel inserts that she still wears sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 My youngest was diagnosed with an x-ray, following up on a (healed) leg fracture. The doctor saw the evidence of the heel injury and soft tissue swelling, but think the symptoms are enough to warrant treatment without x-rays. The inserts should work right away, so you can expect an immediate reduction in pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsmama Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 My 8 year old gymanst also suffers with heel ppain. This is what her coach recommends http://www.thexbrace.com It seems to help, along with wearing athletic shoes (no flip flops...). It can be a sign of Sever's disease but we haven't sought out a diagnosis at this point. http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bones/severs_disease.html Edit to add link 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Google Sever's disease. It's an inflammation of the growth plates in the heel, and is extremely common during puberty, especially among kids who are athletes or who do a lot of running. My DS had it when he was 11 and it got bad enough that we had to see a podiatrist. The treatment was complete rest from all sports, running, or jumping for 3 full weeks, ice several times per day, and ibuprofen. We were told it would never happen once his feet were fully grown, but until then it could reoccur anytime he went through a growth spurt. The doctor told him that he should never go barefoot, especially on hard surfaces (like our tile floors at home), and that wearing even a cheap pair of flip flops with a foam footbed would be better than walking around barefoot. This was the hardest part for him - as a homeschooler, he almost never wore shoes around the house, but now he at least wears flip flops. The next hardest thing was not being allowed to run while it healed, because he had been going for runs as a break in the middle of school. We have been careful to take care of his feet since then, and he hasn't had any issues since - it's been 2 years now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I'd get her checked by a podiatrist. There are many things that can cause heel pain, such as heel spurs (caused by plantar fasciitis), or a heel fracture, or fallen arches. My son had terrible pain that was brought on by his arch starting to collapse. The doctor gave him orthotics, and he's never had a problem since. I thought I had broken my heel, but it turned out to be a heel spur (visible in x-ray), that was caused by plantar fasciitis and irritated by a fall, but which stemmed from my own collapsing arch. I was helped by a physical therapist, who gave me special stretches, and recommended an over-the-counter shoe insert called Superfeet. I have since gotten Superfeet for my daughter because her arch was turning in as well (I know what to look for, now, and it is apparently genetic). Anyway, the Superfeet in our athletic shoes and boots have made all the difference. No heel pain anywhere! Superfeet are available at REI, and several shoe stores. They're different than the gel or memory foam inserts because they have a stiff heel cup that supports around the heel (keeping the center of the heel from supporting all your weight), and they support your arch, protecting from plantar fasciitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 My dd is a dancer and she gets heel pain on and off. She wears gel heel cups in her tennis shoes and they help a lot. If it flares up she wears her shoes all the time, even when she's at home. I also give her calf massages when it gets bad. Here is a good video on how to massage and stretch the calves: From what I have read, the pain is caused by the Achilles' tendon pulling on the heel, which then squeezes the growth plate. This is why loosening up the calf muscle, which in turn loosens up the tendon, can help with the pain. The gel cups can be found at any drug store. My dd had instant relief once we put them in her shoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest normapuglie Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 The inserts should work right away, so you can expect an immediate reduction in pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Sever's is a rite of passage among nine-year old gymnasts. Heel inserts for her shoes, as others have mentioned, seem to fix it in most girls. If she does not wear shoes, google the "Tulli cheetah." It is a heel insert on a band, sort of like a sock, that is meant to be worn barefoot. The one-size-fits-all is probably too big, so if you get one, get the sized version. Amazon at least used to carry them. Also, you can ice the heel by freezing a paper cup of water and rubbing it onto the heel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debinindy Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Sorry she is going through this…It's never fun to see our dc in pain. My son was just diagnosed with Sever's and Achilles tendonitis. The podiatrist put him in a boot to force his foot to completely rest. He can't take Ibuprofen, and we haven't been able to get the pain to subside. For him, ice seemed to make the pain worse and the heel cups did nothing to bring relief. The key seems to be rest for the affected area which is difficult for a foot since you need to walk :001_smile: Hopefully, some of these remedies will work for your dd. If not, I'd get her checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenn121 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Severs is no fun. Ice, no barefoot. inserts and motrin. My DD 14 suffer from it starting in 2nd grade. She is a martial artist and had to wear special shoes on the mat. There is not cure besides time. The growth plate in the heel fuses between ages 12-14 and the pain stops. The pain is from the inflamation of the cartalige between the heel growth plate and the rest of the foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Great info! Thank you so much. Any suggestions on the "cutest" shoes options for my picky fashionista? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Great info! Thank you so much. Any suggestions on the "cutest" shoes options for my picky fashionista? We compromise. My 10yodd knows she must wear her athletic shoes (with the Superfeet inserts) whenever she is going to be walking for any distance (shopping, site-seeing, hiking, etc). She still has her cute sandals and dress shoes, but she can only wear those to places she's likely to not be on her feet much (church, party at a friends house, etc) If your daughter is having pain, I'd put my foot down and say she must wear shoes with proper support until her heel heals. Have you figured out what is wrong? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purplejackmama Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Thanks Suzanne, I think that sounds like an excellent compromise. No, no definite diagnosis. Her Dr said it was really common problem with adolescents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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