When “Growing Pains” Aren’t Growing Pains: A Parent’s Guide to Fall Sports Foot Pain

Every August, the same thing happens across Bellmore, Merrick, and Wantagh. Cleats come out of the garage. Preseason practices start. And within about two weeks, a lot of kids start limping.

Most parents hear the complaint, decide it’s growing pains, and wait for it to pass. Sometimes that’s exactly right. But heel pain in an active 10-year-old usually isn’t growing pains at all — it’s a specific, common, and very treatable condition that has a name. Knowing the difference can save your child weeks on the sidelines.

The most common cause of heel pain in kids

If your child is between roughly 8 and 14 years old and complaining about heel pain, the most likely explanation is calcaneal apophysitis — better known as Sever’s disease.

Despite the name, it isn’t a disease at all. It’s an overuse injury. Children’s heel bones aren’t finished growing yet. Until the mid-teens, there’s an active growth plate at the back of the heel, and the Achilles tendon attaches right next to it. During a growth spurt, the heel bone lengthens faster than the surrounding muscles and tendons can keep up. The Achilles gets pulled taut, and every time your child runs, jumps, or lands, it tugs on that growth plate.

Add a hard field, a new pair of cleats with almost no cushioning, and a jump from summer downtime to five practices a week, and you have the recipe we see in our Bellmore office every single fall.

How to tell the difference

Real growing pains tend to be vague, achy, and located in the muscles of the legs — often at night, often on both sides, and usually gone by morning.

Sever’s disease looks different:

• Pain is specifically in the heel, at the back or along the sides, not the calf or thigh
• It’s worse during and right after activity, not in the middle of the night
• Squeezing the sides of the heel hurts. This is the classic sign. Gently compress your child’s heel between your thumb and fingers — if that reproduces the pain, it points toward the growth plate
• Your child limps, walks on their toes, or looks stiff after practice or first thing in the morning
• It often affects both heels, though one is usually worse

Why fall sports make it worse

A few things about this specific time of year stack the deck against young athletes.

What you can do at home

If the pain is mild and just starting, a few things genuinely help:

1. Ease off the aggravating activity.
   This is the hardest advice for a competitive kid to hear, but it’s the most effective. That may mean sitting out a few practices rather than the whole season.
2. Ice after activity.
   Fifteen to twenty minutes on the heel after practice, with a thin towel between the ice and the skin.
3. Stretch the calves and Achilles.
   Gentle, consistent stretching relieves tension on the growth plate. Two or three times a day works better than one long session.
4. Put a cushioned insert in the cleats.
   Even an over-the-counter heel cup can meaningfully reduce impact. Take the flat factory insole out first.
5. Check the shoes on both ends.
   Well-cushioned sneakers for everything outside of practice matter just as much as what’s on the field.

When to bring your child in

Call us if any of the following apply:

• The pain hasn’t improved after two weeks of rest and home care
• Your child is limping consistently or refusing to bear weight
• There’s swelling, bruising, or redness around the heel
• Only one heel hurts, particularly after a specific fall or twist
• Pain wakes your child up at night
• There’s any numbness or tingling in the foot

That list matters because a handful of other conditions — stress fractures, tendon injuries, and less common issues — can look similar at first glance. A short exam and, when needed, a digital X-ray at our office can help rule out other causes. If the picture is still unclear, we’ll tell you what further evaluation makes sense. We’d much rather tell you it’s nothing serious than have you find out in November that a stress fracture went unaddressed since August.

The reassuring part

Here’s what parents most want to hear: Sever’s disease resolves. It is self-limiting, and it is not expected to cause lasting damage or to follow your child into adulthood. Once the growth plate finishes maturing — usually sometime in the mid-teens — the condition stops happening.

Most children improve within a few weeks to a couple of months with rest, stretching, and better footwear. When symptoms are more stubborn, custom orthotics, physical therapy, or a short period of immobilization get things back on track. Our doctors see this condition regularly during fall sports season, and with early treatment most young athletes are able to return to full participation.

The goal isn’t to pull your child out of sports. It’s to keep a manageable problem from turning into a season-long one.

Before the season gets going

If your child plays a fall sport, two quick things are worth doing this month:

1. Have their feet measured rather than guessing at last year’s size. Do it late in the day, when feet are at their largest.
2. Add cushioned inserts to the cleats before the first practice, not after the pain starts.

And if your child has had heel pain in a previous season, a preseason visit is worth the half hour. We can assess their foot structure, check for tight tendons or flat feet that raise the risk, and fit them properly before the problem arrives.

Frequently asked questions

This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for an in-person evaluation. Individual results vary. If your child is experiencing foot or heel pain, please schedule an appointment.