Body Parts / 4 lessons
Foot and Heel
Happy feet for every sport
- Start1Meet your foot
- Heel pain in young athletes
- Protect your feet
- If your foot hurts
Unit notes
Everything this unit teaches, in writing. Open a lesson to read it, or play it for the quick questions and stars.
Matters most in: Running
Lesson 1Meet your foot
Bones, a springy arch, and a growing heel.
Twenty-six bones per foot
Each foot has 26 bones. A strong band under your foot called the plantar fascia supports your arch and helps absorb the stress of walking and running.
The Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. It's the largest tendon in your body.
Your heel is still growing
Kids have a growth plate at the back of the heel bone, right where the Achilles tendon attaches. Running and jumping put stress on it.
Lesson 2Heel pain in young athletes
Sever's disease, the heel pain that comes with growing.
What is Sever's disease?
Sever's disease is heel pain in growing kids, usually around ages 9 to 13. Too much stress on the growth plate in the heel, where the Achilles tendon attaches, makes it sore.
Despite the name, it's not an illness you can catch, and it goes away once that growth plate is done growing.
Growth spurts make it worse
Sever's shows up most often during growth spurts, when bones, muscles, and tendons are changing fast. A tight calf adds even more pull on the heel.
Myth or fact?
- Sever's disease is contagious, like a cold. Myth. Sever's isn't an infection at all. It's irritation of a growth plate from running and jumping.
Lesson 3Protect your feet
Good shoes, calf stretches, and blister prevention.
Shoes that fit
Your shoes should have at least half an inch of space past your longest toe. Replace them when you outgrow them or the cushioning wears out.
Stretch your calves
Stretching your calves can take stress off your heel. Lean against a wall with one leg back and your heel on the ground, and hold for about 30 seconds.
Myth or fact?
- Wearing hand-me-down cleats that are a size too big is fine as long as you tie them tight. Myth. Shoes that are too loose or too tight can rub and cause blisters, and a shoe should grip your heel to keep your foot steady. Fit matters.
Lesson 4If your foot hurts
Heel pain, blisters, and when to get checked.
Don't limp through it
If your heel or foot hurts during or after sports, or you start limping, tell an adult. A limp is a sign you need to rest and get checked.
Myth or fact?
- You should pop a blister as soon as you see it. Myth. Popping a blister can lead to infection, and its skin protects the raw skin underneath. Cover it loosely with a bandage. An adult can help if it's large and very painful.