Envy Physio Articles

Sever’s Disease is a painful condition of the heel (foot) that commonly presents in children and adolescents, commonly between 8 and 15 years of age. It is most common in males with a 2-3:1 ratio to females. (1) It is an overuse injury which develops overtime due to repetitive loading, often in highly active individuals.  The injury occurs as the distal insertion of the Achilles tendon repetitively pulls (tractions) on the calcaneus (heel), causing secondary ossification (bony growth).  As such, this condition is often seen in adolescents as it coincides with rapid growth spurts and sudden increases in sporting activities.

Osgood-Schlatter disease (or OSD) refers to inflammation of the ligament just below the kneecap and is most common in children and adolescents who are very active and/or undergoing growth spurts. A common sign of OSD are painful lumps or bumps that develop at the top of the shin bone (tibia) and the associated pain can be debilitating – stopping young athletes from enjoying sport and activity. Typically thought to be a self-resolving (goes away on its own) condition, a recent paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine identified 60% of those effected by OSD still experiencing symptoms at