Your child has started limping after football training. They are complaining about sore heels. They might even be walking on their toes to avoid the pain.
You have tried rest. You have tried new runners. Nothing seems to stick.
This is one of the most common concerns parents bring to us across our Dublin clinics. The good news is that heel pain in children is usually very treatable — but only when you understand what is actually causing it.
What Parents in Dublin Are Asking
We hear these questions regularly from parents in Finglas, Glasnevin, and across North Dublin:
- “Why does my child’s heel hurt after sport?”
- “Is heel pain in children serious?”
- “Should I stop them from playing GAA until it goes away?”
Here is the direct answer to the first question: In active children aged 8 to 14, heel pain after sport is almost always caused by Sever’s disease — a growth plate irritation where the Achilles tendon attaches to the heel bone. The heel bone often grows faster than the muscles and tendons around it, creating tension and inflammation at the attachment point. It sounds serious, but it is not a disease at all — it is a temporary growth-related condition that responds very well to the right treatment.
What Is Actually Going On
During growth spurts, bones can lengthen faster than the soft tissues can adapt. In the heel, this creates a tug-of-war between the growing bone and the calf muscles pulling on it.
Every time your child runs, jumps, or changes direction, the Achilles tendon pulls on the heel’s growth plate. When that growth plate cannot handle the load being placed on it, inflammation builds up.
The result is pain — usually at the back or sides of the heel. It tends to be worse during and after activity, and often improves with rest. But here is the problem: rest alone does not fix the underlying issue.
The tissues are still weak. The growth plate is still under tension. As soon as your child returns to sport, the pain comes back.
This is why so many parents tell us their child’s heel pain keeps returning every season.
Why It Is Not Improving
Most parents try the obvious things first: rest, ice, cushioned insoles, reduced training. These approaches can ease symptoms temporarily, but they do not address the root cause.
The real issue is that the calf, foot, and ankle complex is not strong enough to handle the demands being placed on it. Rest gives relief, but it does not build the tissue capacity needed to tolerate running, jumping, and sport.
We see children in Blackrock, Stillorgan, and across South Dublin who have been managing heel pain on and off for months — sometimes years — because treatment stopped at symptom relief.
Pain relief is not the same as recovery. If you do not build strength, the problem will keep coming back.
The Foot Focus Approach
At Foot Focus Podiatry, we treat children’s heel pain with the same thorough process we use for adults — adapted for younger patients and their goals.
Every child receives a detailed assessment. We review their symptoms, activity levels, training schedule, and what they want to get back to doing. We then carry out hands-on muscle and joint testing alongside baseline strength testing.
For persistent or recurring cases, we use our Gait and Motion Footscan pressure plate mat. This industry-leading technology captures thousands of data points showing exactly how forces are distributed across your child’s foot with every step. It gives us an objective clinical picture — no guesswork.
Combining hands-on assessment with Footscan data tells us precisely what is causing the pain and how to fix it.
Treatment follows our four-stage recovery model:
Stage 1: Immediate pain relief through padding, strapping, or Class IV laser therapy to create a window for recovery to begin.
Stage 2: Strength exercises tailored to your child — building the capacity of the calf, foot, and ankle to handle load.
Stage 3: Progressive loading — gradually increasing activity while monitoring how symptoms respond.
Stage 4: Return to sport with a maintenance programme and clear guidance for parents and coaches.
We do not prescribe rest and wait. We build strength so the tissue can cope with the demands of growing up active.
What Proper Treatment Looks Like
Recovery looks different for every child. A 9-year-old playing twice-weekly GAA needs a different programme to a 13-year-old training daily for athletics.
We assess each young patient individually and select exercises that are right for them — there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The principle is progressive loading: starting with lower-demand movements and building up as the tissue adapts.
The goal is not just to get rid of pain. The goal is to make your child’s feet and ankles strong enough to handle everything they want to do — and to give you, as a parent, the tools to maintain that progress at home.
You can find out more about how we treat heel pain in children at our Dublin clinics on our children’s heel pain page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sever’s disease serious?
No. Despite the name, Sever’s disease is not a disease. It is a growth-related condition that resolves once the growth plate closes — usually by age 14 or 15. With proper management, children can continue playing sport throughout.
Should my child stop playing sport?
Not necessarily. Complete rest is rarely needed. We focus on load management — adjusting activity levels while building strength, rather than stopping altogether.
Will my child need orthotics?
Possibly, but not always. We build foot strength through rehabilitation first and only introduce Phits 3D printed orthotics if still clinically indicated after rehab.
How long does recovery take?
It varies depending on how long the condition has been present and your child’s activity levels. Most children see significant improvement within a few weeks of starting a structured programme.
Can heel pain in children come back?
It can during growth spurts, but a proper strengthening programme reduces the likelihood and severity of recurrence.
Conclusion
Heel pain in active children is almost always a load management problem — the tissue cannot handle the demands being placed on it. At Foot Focus Podiatry, we address the root cause through thorough assessment and structured rehabilitation, not just rest. If your child’s heel pain keeps returning, book an assessment with one of Dublin’s largest podiatry providers — we will get to the bottom of it.
Foot Focus Podiatry is one of Dublin’s largest podiatry providers with experienced podiatrists treating conditions including plantar fasciitis, heel pain, ingrown toenails, fungal nails, and diabetic foot care. Clinics in North Dublin (Finglas, Dublin 11) and South Dublin (Mount Merrion, Dublin 14). Book online or call today.