What is the cause and treatment of heel pain in children?

Q: My son is 10 years old, weighs 40 kg and is 142 cm tall. He has severe pain in both his heels. As a result he has started limping & is unable to run & play. A doctor diagnosed it as epiphysitis. What is this disease? What are its causes & how can it be cured?

A:Your son has Sever's disease, which is an inflammation at the area where the heel cord joins the heel bone. This occurs in susceptible boys in the pre-pubertal age group. This is generally responsive to modifying the activity levels. No contact sports or excessive PT for your son for the next 6 weeks to start with. This problem is only present in this age group and disappears once he completes growth. Follow your doctor's advice.