Best shoes for Sever's Disease?

[notfromstepford]

Hi
I was just wondering if any of you had any recommendations for the best shoes to help alleviate the symptoms of Sever's Disease?

My DS is 7 and very active. We've been to the GP and although referred for physio because he was struggling to walk and had been in pain for several weeks, was turned down and told to just follow exercises on the internet.

He was off sport for 8 weeks and was fine for a few months but now it's started again - apparently this can keep happening until he is fully grown. As he's only 7 he's potentially got 10 years of this to go.

I was just wondering if any of you had been through the same and if you had any footwear recommendations? He also has wide feet (H+ in Clarks) and a high-ish instep.

At the end of the school day he comes limping towards me, feet turned in and heels off the floor. He doesn't even realise he's walking like that half the time. He has it in both heels this time but one is worse than the other.

Any ideas on what I can do to make it more comfortable for him would be gratefully received!

Ask your GP for a referral to podiatry - ours has a specialist paediatric unit. They can check to see if insoles will help with foot position and the rolling in. My son also has Severs and he has insoles which are reviewed regularly.

Thank you - yes I will do that.

Was about to say the same thing. DS was given insoles to help cushion the impact. I don't think they were particularly measured for him though, he was just given them at the hospital when we went for an assessment.

Good luck, it can take some time to right itself.

Thanks - I'll get on to it and sort some insoles

In the meantime while waiting to get a referral try gel heel cups that you can get in a sports shop, we used those for DD's school shoes and it did help.
My DD's severs started just before she was 8, sounds very similar, H fitting and very high instep.
She saw a physio but apart from showing us some stretching exercises and massaging we were pretty much left to it.
Luckily it has settled and the flare ups tend to be less severe that the first occurrence.

If really bad ask the school to allow your DS to wear trainers, even if just at break times.

Sketchers were recommended as they have memory foam inners, but that could be an expensive option if it doesn't work out.

Thanks for that - yes I'll get some gel heel cups. At least I'll feel like I'm doing something! He's gone in trainers today (which are sketchers!) and I'll leave him in them until it settles down a bit.
Thank you everyone for your advice - really appreciate it

Hi, my 12.5yr old has severs - been on going since he was 9. We use gel heel insoles in EVERY pair of shoes/trainers he owns. Also when suffering a flair up (when he’s having a growth spurt) or done a lot of sport he takes ibuprofen BEFORE a training session/PE lesson and after it too/when painful. If they’re really bad we double up the Ibuprofen with a dose of paracetamol. He’s suffering quite a lot at the moment as he’s going particularly quickly.

Sorry...above reads like we give him double dose of ibuprofen - we don’t! We give a dose of ibuprofen and a dose of paracetamol!

Lol - I didn't read it like that until you pointed it out!

Thanks for this - yes I've been giving ibuprofen and heel pads have arrived today (gotta love Amazon prime). Hopefully the combination should help sort him out.
Never thought about paracetamol too - just for the pain relief, I was thinking more along the lines of anti-inflammatory so that's a good idea too - thanks

Just wanted to say thanks again everyone for your sound. He's been wearing the insoles when he's not been wearing his trainers and seem to be working well

Glad he’s got some relief! I was advised that the condition wouldn’t totally clear up until growing stopped! I also advised school that there maybe times when ds wouldn’t be able to do PE or might need to stop during a lesson due to pain. I printed off the info about severs and sent it into school.

Trainers with curved rather than dead flat soles and heel cushions should do the job.
I did childrens podiatry in the NHS for years and schiools are happy to let them wear black trainers if they have a letter from a health care professional.

Great - thanks both.
School are OK with trainers at the moment, but I will get a letter if necessary. He also needed some school shoes, so I bought some air-sprung ones. The insoles have made a massive difference - especially with football. I didn't realise how flat his footie boots were. He played a match on Sunday and said they felt brilliant.
So thanks for the advice - it's been great.

Hi my DS has been diagnosed with severes diseases when he 9 but he had it since 3 and all they use to say is that he was a lazy kid. As a parents we didnt aceppted it and fought as much we could till feel years ago the diagnosed our DS with Severes. Unfortunately he haven't had a day by without pain and walk just like your DD. He have a wheelchair to help after few hours at school. He now have back and knee pain and we are doing whatever it takes to help our DS. We have been told asics shoes are very helpful to release the pain and help him put his heels down as he walks now only on his toes. We will try this shoes and give the feedback. I hope this can help you. I can imagine what are you and your DD going through. We give him paracetamol and ibuprofen everyday and it is sad to watch our DS struggling every day and no be able to do any sports or play with friends. Also the specialist has referred our DS to swimming lessons what helps realise the pain and he have fun like a normal child. You should be able to get this lessons from yr gp for free. Hugs from mummy to mummy

It isn't really worth buying a separate pair of shoes for Sever's disease, although as someone has mentioned Skechers are great for comfort and when used with insoles seem to be really effective. In soles are much cheaper though and if you buy a good pair they will be just as effective as a whole new pair of shoes (plus the bonus is that your kid can put them in their favourite shoes)

www.londonorthotics.co.uk/orthotics/paediatric-treatment/severs-disease/
you-well.co.uk/the-best-shoes-insert-for-severs-disease-5-options/

We found the custom orthotics didn't help as they lifted the foot too much. As others have said gel insoles. We found Asics trainers to be great as they do gel sole models.

Really encourage stretching- before exercise and every day - focus on reducing calf tightness and stretching the calf. Have a reusable ice pack in the freezer at all times. Ice even for mild pain.

We had a great physio but it has been tough times and is very hard on kids to deal with - I think the mental health impact of feeling pain and a having temporary disability - as it doesn't feel temporary to a kid- is underestimated by adults. At our worst we've had a moon boot and crutches so it has been really hard and all clubs had to be stopped. Life just shrank.