Latest article from Mark Roe Sports Physio Academy
This article was inspired by my 7 year old son who came to me yesterday and asked what stretches to do for his calf as his heel was hurting. I must be a bit of an anorak at home as he told me he’d heard me telling someone to do this before. The good thing about this is he’s spot on!
Heel pain in youngsters – particularly sporty kids – is a very common occurrence. The most common time for this is when they are going through a growth spurt. Growth spurts - particularly for young footballers commonly affect a couple of areas. The common sites are under the kneecap (Osgood Schlatters Disease which we will talk about in a future article), or in the heel (Severs Disease). The medical term for these conditions is a ‘traction apophysitis’.
When running, the Achilles Tendon which attaches to the calf, pulls at the point where it attaches to the heel. During a growth spurt, the bones are growing faster than the muscles, so they pull even more than usual on this point, causing inflammation of the tissues. The inflammation causes soreness when weight is put through the heel, for example when walking or running, and it can be very painful first thing in the morning after the muscles have tightened up over night.
With regards to matches, children often report the heel feels sore at first then the pain settles as they get playing, but it then becomes worse towards the end of the game and after the match too.
In the past, children have often had their symptoms dismissed as ‘growing pains’ and told to take tablets and rest. In extreme cases they may have been put in a plaster cast to stop them playing. However, I remember having this as a child and rest was the last thing I wanted to do for fear of losing my place in the team.
So as parents, managers and coaches what can we do to help our kids?
As most sports children play various sports and may take part in several training sessions it is important to prioritise. Relative rest from the less important sports or training sessions is a good place to start. Aim to reduce playing time by playing just the first half of a match for example, or playing just the last 20 minutes keeps the player involved but doesn't irritate the problem. It's not necessary to stop playing completely unless the problem becomes severe. Ice the heel after playing, and do plenty of calf stretches to help the muscle lengthen whilst the bone grows. Your GP may advise taking anti-inflammatory tablets too.
This problem WILL go away, so don’t worry. Just remember, the more you follow this advice, the quicker your problem will resolve. As ever, if you need further help, always seek the advice of a HPC registered physiotherapist.
One thing I always say to players, parents and coaches during a growth spurt is also not to worry if a players form is affected. Generally as the body grows, kids may become uncoordinated, or look 'gangly', and timing seems to worsen. It's very important for us to support the child and make them understand this is just temporary and that they haven't become a bad player, it is just the body adjusting to growth. Once this period has settled they should go back to being the player they were before - only bigger and stronger!
Walking on the heels in the morning and before matches or training can help, as can stretching the hamstring muscles higher up at the back of the thigh. Hold the stretches for 20-30 seconds and do 3 repetitions, twice each day. There are some more general stretches for sport on the website www.markroesportsphysio.co.uk
As further commitment from the league to our players' fitness we have negotiated a discount for all players of the Sheffield and District Junior Sunday Football League who attend the clinic for treatment. Players from any team in the League will receive a discount of £10 off their initial consultation following injury, and further discounts should follow-up sessions be required.
Mark Roe
Senior Sports Physiotherapist
The Mark Roe Sports Physio Academy - Sheffield
0114 2390022