Pediatric Heel Pain condition

Inflammation of the fluid-filled sac (bursa) located between Achilles tendon and heels bone causes the condition called as Pediatric Heel pain.

Pediatric Heel pain is a condition in which one suffers from pain in the back and bottom area of the heel. The patient has to go through the pain almost every time the foot is used to do some activity. So it can be going to the bathroom or taking an elevator to go downstairs.  Orthodontic devices may be suggested by the podiatrist to avoid pain.

Every time the heel is touches your footwear and the ground, the pressure on the heel makes it a painful area. This disorder is popularly found in sport athletes because they are required to exhaust themselves with lot of physical activity. The back of the heel is a sensitive area and the growth plate makes it even more vulnerable.

Causes of Pediatric Heel Pain

The common reasons for Pediatric Heel pain are injuries to the heel, wearing improper shoes, and arthritis. Pediatric Heel pain is also considered as a symptom that indicates you may have to suffer from further complications.  

Pediatric Heel pain is also described as Child Heel pain when a child suffers from it.  Specifically known as children heel pain because the child suffers from the heel disorder during a specific age-band  (8-14 years) when the heel bone is said to be growing. Heel pain in kids is due to the fact child's body bones have a definite tendency to grow.  The irregular growth in the heel bone will lead to Child Heel pain. Other causes can be breakage of bones, stress fractures, sudden change in the training activity of athletes. Growth plate is sensitive to repeated running and pounding on hard surfaces.


Pediatric Heel Pain results on body

1. The patient suffers from intense pain in the morning. The pain may reduce by walking but it only gets worse, so walking should also be avoided.
2. One or both feet can be affected

Most affected People

1. Children
2. Sports Athletes
3. Very active people
4. Obese people

Diagnosis of Pediatric Heel Pain

After studying the medical history of the candidate in the podiatry clinic, the foot doctor inquires about the recent physical activities of the candidate. The foot specialist than advices the candidate about whether the activities are safe/unsafe. Depending on the candidate's case, the podiatrist would recommend X-ray, Bone scan, MRI study or Computerized tomography for further diagnosis.

Treatment options

Depending on the condition of the patient, there are various treatment options that are recommended by the podiatrist. Some of the important ones are mentioned below –

1. Use footwear that is well-cushioned
2. Medications such as ibuprofen may be prescribed as anti-inflammation drugs
3. Casting may be recommended in cases where there is a fracture and immobility is required.
4. Weight reduction techniques are suggested to obese people.
5. Use of Orthodontic devices may be recommended to avoid pain and heal faster.
6. Surgery is prescribed in selective cases.
   

You can take the following Precautions, if you have the slightest suffering from Pediatric Heel pain

1. Avoid walking long distances
2. Avoid participating in strenuous sport activities
3. Walking on toes should be avoided. (by extreme sport athletes such as gymnasts)
4. The best exercise would be yoga; it retains your energy and keeps you fit at the same time.