Sever’s disease, also known as calcaneal apophysitis is a common bone disorder that occurs during childhood. The disease is defined as an inflammation of the growth plate in the heel. When a child has a growth spurt, his heel bone grows faster than the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in his leg. This disease is a result of overuse. The people who are most likely to be affected by this disease are children who are in a growth spurt, especially boys who are from the ages of 5 to 13 years old. 60% of children with Sever’s disease have both heels involved.

Symptoms of this disease are heel pain that intensifies during running and jumping activities. The pain is typically localized to the posterior part of the heel. Symptoms may be severe, and they can easily interfere with daily activities. Children who play soccer, baseball, and basketball are more likely to develop Sever’s disease.

Your doctor will diagnose your child based on his or her symptoms, x-rays are generally not helpful in diagnosing this disease. Your doctor may examine both heels and ask your child questions about his or her activity level in sports. Your doctor may then use the squeeze test on your child’s heel to see if there is any pain. Nevertheless, some doctors might still use x-rays to rule out any other issues such as fractures, infections, and tumors.

Sever’s disease can be prevented by maintaining good flexibility while your child is growing. Another prevention method is to wear good-quality shoes that have firm support and a shock-absorbent sole. Sever’s disease can be treated by ceasing any activity that causes heel pain. You should apply ice to the injured heel for 20 minutes 3 times a day. Additionally, orthotics should be used for children who have high arches, flat feet, or bowed legs.

If you suspect your child has Sever’s disease, you should make an appointment with your podiatrist to have his or her foot examined. Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen to relieve pain. In more severe cases, your child may need a cast to rest his or her heel. Fortunately, Sever’s disease does not cause long-term foot problems. After treatment, your child should start to feel better within two weeks to two months.

Foot and ankle injuries are common among athletes and those who exercise frequently. Most of these injuries are non-life-threatening and can heal in weeks with proper treatment and care. Serious injuries, however, require urgent medical treatment.

Common minor injuries include ankle sprains, ankle strains, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, and turf toe. An ankle sprain is when the ligaments in the ankle have either become stretched or torn. When the muscle or tendon is stretched or torn, it is an ankle strain. When the big toe is sprained, it is known as turf toe. Achilles tendonitis is the overuse and inflammation of the Achilles tendon. Plantar fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia and generally occurs from overuse in athletics. Stress fractures are also caused from overuse and are small cracks in the bone.

Achilles tendon ruptures are common, but more serious. This injury occurs when the Achilles tendon, the largest tendon in the body, ruptures. In most cases, this causes severe pain and difficulty walking; some who have experienced this injury have reported, however, no signs or symptoms. A laceration is a deep cut that can occur anywhere on the body. Lacerations on the foot are rarer, but can occur from things like metal cleats landing on the foot.   

Treatment options cover a wide range of methods based upon the injury and its severity. Conditions like plantar fasciitis, stress fractures, Achilles tendonitis, turf toe and ankle sprains/ strains can heal on their own without immediate medical care, but seeing a podiatrist to monitor the injury is always recommended. Following the RICE (Rest, Icing, Compression, and Elevation) protocol is generally enough to treat minor injuries. This means resting the foot by either keeping pressure off the foot or not walking at all. Icing the injury will help reduce swelling and pain. Compressing the wound with a wrap will immobilize and help promote healing. Finally, keeping the wound elevated will also reduce swelling and also help the healing process.

It is important to note that even minor injuries can vary in severity, with grade one being a minor injury and grade three requiring urgent care by a podiatrist. Achilles tendon ruptures and lacerations on the foot generally require urgent medical care and treatment options that need a podiatrist. These could include imaging tests, stitches for cuts, rehabilitation, and casts or braces. Every case is different, however, so it is always recommended to see a podiatrist when pain in the foot does not disappear.

A bunion is a bump that forms at the base of the big toe. Bunions form when the big toe pushes against the next toe, which forces the big toe joint to get bigger and stick out.  As a result, the skin over the bunion may start to appear red and it may feel sore.

There are risk factors that can increase your chances of developing bunions. People who wear high heels or ill-fitting shoes are more likely to develop them, in addition to those who have a genetic history of bunions or have rheumatoid arthritis.

The most obvious way to tell if you have a bunion is to look for the big toe pushing up against the toe next to it. Bunions produce a large protrusion at the base of the big toe and may or may not cause pain. Other symptoms are redness, swelling, and restricted movement of the big toe if you have arthritis. 

Nonsurgical methods are frequently used to treat bunions that aren’t severe. Some methods of nonsurgical treatment are orthotics, icing and resting the foot, taping the foot, and pain medication. Surgery is usually only required in extreme cases. However, if surgery is needed, some procedures may involve removing the swollen tissue from around the big toe joint, straightening the big toe by removing part of the bone, or joining the bones of your affected joint permanently.

Your podiatrist will diagnose your bunion by doing a thorough examination of your foot. He or she may also conduct an x-ray to determine the cause of the bunion and its severity.

Certain foods are crucial to help recover from an injury. When we have damaged tissue, like a torn muscle or tendon, our body needs specific nutrients to heal stronger, and faster.

Healthy diet > Supplements

Vitamins and minerals from a food source are SUPERIOR to taking a supplement. Healthy food offers hundreds of antioxidants, carotenoids, flavonoids, and minerals not found in supplements! Additionally, when we eat a health diet, our body automatically maximizes absorption of "the good stuff", and eliminates what we don't need. Taking supplements can result in extremely high, or toxic, levels of vitamins, which can be harmful.

Assess your diet FIRST before taking supplements to ensure your body is getting what it needs to heal.

~50% of our body composition is water~

We've all heard the cardinal rule for daily water consumption... "Adults need 6 to 8- 8oz glasses of water". But this isn't personalized for you or your activity level. YOUR WEIGHT determines your body's need. Other factors to consider are activity level, outside temperature, pregnancy, diet, and medications/health conditions.

Here's a more personalized way to estimate how much water YOU should be drinking:

1. Take your weight (in lb) and multiply by 0.5. That number is the minimum ounces you should be drinking per day.
2. For every 30 minutes you exercise, add 12 oz.

Example: 150lb x 0.5= 75oz

Exercise for an hour= (60min/30min) x 12oz= 24oz

Recommended: 99oz of water

Signs of dehydration include: dry mouth, headache, muscle cramps, dark or strong smelling urine.

Talk to a medical professional if you have questions about your hydration level.

Are YOU working through an injury or rehabbing after surgery? Need a rest day as a competitive athlete?

Aquatic/Water therapy provides numerous benefits:

1. Increases circulation and decreases swelling. In water, hydrostatic pressure and increased mobility combine to help improve blood flow and decrease swelling.
2. Reduces pain and muscle spasms. Hydrostatic pressure of water provides compression during water therapy. With muscles stimulated underwater, the body relaxes and exercises are more comfortable to perform.
3. Less stress on affected bones, muscles and tendons. Buoyancy of water makes patients up to 80% lighter! Without the stress of gravity, the body is more relaxed and exercises can be performed more easily.

Aquatic therapy is a MUST for athletes and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for patients recovering from injuries or rehabilitating after surgery.

Find out if it's safe for you to incorporate aquatic therapy into your routine.

Believe it or not, there is ZERO hard scientific evidence backing scar management with creams, ointments, patches, lasers, retinol, steroids, and more. It's a 22.5 billion dollar industry (2022) for good reason...Most people want to avoid unsightly scars!

Your body's ability to heal an incision is largely determined by:

1. Your genes
2. Surgeon technique

So what to do?

1. Pick a surgeon you trust, and who cares about what your scar looks like. Ask them about their technique!
2. Follow your surgeon's post-operative instructions. Ask questions!
3. MY RECOMMENDATIONS at 3 weeks post-op (EVIDENCE-BASED, BACKED BY SCIENCE):

1. Initiate pressure therapy with a compression sleeve, sock, or bandage. Pressure helps regulate collagen synthesis, and is believed to decrease fibroblast activity, decreasing scar height.
2. Apply petrolatum (41%) morning, noon, and night to your incision for 8 weeks. This ointment keeps the wound from drying out, speeding up healing.
3. Start scar mobilization techniques with help of physical therapy at 4 weeks. Mechanical stimuli on a scar initiates mechanotransduction- cells sense a stimulus and convert it into biochemical signals, effectively influencing the cross-linking of collagen fibers. It helps increase the pliability of the skin, helping it to move and appear like "normal".

The BEST thing you can do to maximize your body's ability to heal is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and drink plenty of water. It will keep your cells happy and functioning properly.