There are many different growing pains that children can experience. Today I want to talk about one of the most common ones - Severs Syndrome. Severs Syndrome is a growth pain on the back of the heels common in growing adolescents between the ages of 9 to 14.
The growth pains are due to the child's leg bones getting longer before the calf muscle and Achilles tendon have the chance to stretch out to the new length. The increased tension on the Achilles tendon pulls on the heel bone where it attaches. This irritates the soft/growing heel bone...and there you have growing pains!
The good news is that despite the pain, which can be considerable, this syndrome is self limiting. Once growth stops, the pains stop and there is no permanent damage done to the foot.
To help relieve pain for your child while they are growing you can use an orthotic to overload some of the pressure on the heel bone. Learn more about these orthotics here.