Over the years, the rate at which young athletes take part in competitive sports has significantly increased. With over 20 million scholastic and organized community-based youth programs in the United States, the risks of injury are high. Approximately 3 million youths visit the hospital because of sport-related injuries per year.

Among the sport-related injuries found in children, heel pain is common because of their growing feet. Overuse or repeated pounding on the Achilles tendon can cause added stress and swelling, which can lead to Sever’s disease.

What is Sever’s Disease?

Sever’s disease or Calcaneal apophysitis is the inflammation of the growth plate in the lower back of the heel.

At a young age, the muscles, tendons, and bones on the feet grow rapidly, making them tight and overstretched. During sporting activities, repeated pounding or overuse of the feet puts pressure on the tight muscles and tendons. This can cause the growth plate to become inflamed and irritated.

Sever’s disease typically affects children going through a growth spurt (between 5-14 years old) and is actively involved in sporting activities.

The symptoms of Sever’s disease include pain, tenderness, swelling, and redness of one or both heels. It can also cause stiffness in the feet when you stay in a rested position for too long, making you limp or walk on your tiptoes.

How Can Heel Cups Provide Relief for Sever’s Disease?

If your child has been diagnosed with Sever’s disease, it is recommended that he/she gets enough rest. Also, placing a therapy ice pack on the heel can help reduce the inflammation and pain. 

Once the pain and inflammation are under control, take care of the biomechanical factors. The biomechanical goals of treating Sever’s disease are to:

• Increase cushion underneath the foot to reduce high-pressure areas
• Reduce the tension on the Achilles tendon by raising the heel
• Correct any biomechanical misalignments like overpronation.

One common strategy for treating Sever’s disease is orthotic devices. An orthotic device can reduce stress on the apophysis and realign the foot posture to correct overpronation. The heel cup is a standard orthotic device used to treat Sever’s disease.

Heel cups are used to provide a cushion for the heel pad beneath the foot. It maximizes the thickness of the anatomical heel pad beneath the calcaneal apophysis, providing you with increased protection from impact.

Contact your doctor to find out if using heel cups is the right option for you. 

3 of the Best Heel Cups for Sever’s Disease

When your child is suffering from Sever’s disease, every step he/she takes puts pressure on the Achilles tendon resulting in pain. To help relieve the pain, we have put together 3 of the best Tuli’s heel cups for Sever’s disease.

1. Tuli’s® Heavy Duty Heel Cups™

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These heel cups are biomechanically designed by a podiatrist to mimic the natural mechanics of the foot. They are designed to absorb the shock of walking, running, and jumping.

Upon impact, the multi-layer, multi-cell design absorbs the shock and returns the impact energy like the system naturally found in your foot. It keeps your feet, knees, and hips in perfect alignment while you perform your activities in maximum comfort.

Tuli’s Heavy Duty Heel Cups are ideal for relieving pain that comes with Sever’s disease. By cushioning the heel area, it elevates and takes the pressure off the heel bone. This lessens the tension and provides instant pain relief.

2. Tuli’s® Heavy Duty Gel Heel Cups™

★★★★★

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Tuli’s Heavy Duty Gel Heel Cups perform the same as the Heavy Duty Heel Cup but also incorporate a lightweight and soft gel that provides better shock absorption and better comfort, whether or not you’re wearing socks.

3. NEW Tuli’s® So Soft® Heel Cups

★★★★★

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Designed with comfort in mind, Tuli’s So Soft Heel Cups are light, soft, and more resilient than other heel cups. Like other Tuli’s Heel cups, Tuli’s So Soft Heel Cups provide a shock-absorption design to return impact just like your natural foot would do and they also come with an additional layer of soft cloth heel bed for improved comfort and heel backing. These heel cups are by far the most comfortable heel cups to wear in almost any shoe.

Find the Best Heel Cups for Sever’s Disease with Medi-Dyne

All three of these Tuli’s Heel Cups have the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance.

If you’re looking for other products for Sever’s disease, Medi-Dyne is your one-stop solution. We offer a variety of doctor-designed and patented products that strengthen, stretch, and protect the body from injuries with industry-leading warranties.

To ensure our customers are getting the best value for their money, we put our products through rigorous testing and evaluation by qualified healthcare professionals.

As always, please contact your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

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PLEASE NOTE: The information on this website and article is for information only and should not be used as a substitute for consulting your doctor. Consult your doctor for proper diagnosis and rehabilitation.