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Dr. Emily Prescott, a sports pediatrics specialist, explains why "rest and ice" is outdated advice for heel pain in young baseball players and reveals the simple mechanical solution that allows them to keep playing while they heal.

By Dr. Emily Prescott, Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialist

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Published May 22, 2026

In my clinic, I see this pattern at least three times a week.

A parent walks in with their 10-, 11-, or 12-year-old child.

The child is limping, sometimes trying to hide it.

The parent looks exhausted—not physically, but with that specific kind of exhaustion that comes from months of failed attempts.

They tell me their story, and it’s almost always the same.

"About six months ago, after baseball practice, his heels started hurting. The pediatrician said it's Sever's disease, basically heel pain and growing pains. They recommended rest and ice. We did that for weeks, it got a little better, but then he went back to practice and within a few days, the pain was back. We’ve repeated this cycle three or four times."

Then they list everything they’ve tried. And the list is always long.

Ice after every practice.

Ibuprofen before games.

Gel heel cups from Amazon that slipped around inside his baseball cleats.

Custom orthotics from the podiatrist: $200–$300, sometimes even more, plus the kid often says they feel bulky and weird.

Physical therapy twice a week, which helped a little but didn't last once he went back to regular practice.

Stretching exercises from YouTube.

Compression socks that didn't seem to do anything.

They’ve spent hundreds of dollars. Some families tell me they’ve spent over a thousand...

And their child is still limping.

If you’re reading this article because you came across a mom’s story online talking about her son’s heel pain and how an orthopedic sleeve helped him, and you want to know if it’s medically true, you’re in the right place.

I will explain exactly what is happening inside your child’s heel, why everything you’ve tried so far hasn’t worked, and what I now recommend to every family who comes to my clinic with this issue.

15 years spent watching children develop problems that could have been avoided

I’m Dr. Emily Prescott, and I have specialized in pediatric sports medicine for 15 years.

I’ve treated over 2,000 young athletes with growth plate injuries, primarily Sever’s disease (calcaneal apophysitis) and related conditions.

For most of my career, I followed the standard protocol.

That meant:

Rest when the pain flares up.

Ice after physical activity.

Stretching.

Maybe heel cups or orthotics if the family wanted a preventive approach.

And the sincere advice I gave hundreds of times was: "It’s temporary. The growth plate closes around age 14 or 15, and the pain will go away."

That advice isn’t wrong. The pain eventually goes away.

But about four years ago, I started paying closer attention to something I had overlooked: what happened to these kids between diagnosis and recovery.

I wasn’t just seeing kids in pain.

I was seeing kids who had stopped enjoying their sport.

Kids who used to be the first on the field were now making excuses to skip practice.

A mother sat in my office and told me: "I'm desperate. I’ve spent $500 and 6 months on this heel pain, and it’s worse now than before. What am I doing wrong?"

She wasn't doing anything wrong.

The standard guidelines weren't working for her.

They weren't working for many families.

And I needed to figure out why.

What is really happening inside your child's heel (and why it’s not just "growing pains")

Here is what is actually happening inside your child's heel during a growth spurt.

I’ll explain it the same way I explain it to parents in my clinic, because once you understand the mechanism, everything else—including why rest and ice keep failing—becomes clear.

Your child's heel bone is called the calcaneus. At the back of the calcaneus is a growth plate, a soft area of developing cartilage where new bone tissue is actively forming.

This growth plate is called the calcaneal apophysis.

The Achilles tendon, the strongest tendon in the body, attaches directly to this growth plate.

During a growth spurt, the heel bone elongates and grows. It often grows rapidly—kids can grow an inch or more in just a few months.

But here is the crucial point: the Achilles tendon doesn't grow at the same speed.

Bone grows from the growth plate. Tendons adapt by gradually stretching and remodeling. These are two completely different biological processes operating on different timelines.

So what happens is a mismatch. The bone elongates, but the tendon stays relatively the same length. Now you're left with a tight tendon pulling on an actively developing growth plate.

Every time your child runs, jumps, changes direction, or pushes off, that tight Achilles tendon pulls on the developing growth plate at the back of the heel.

This is Sever's disease: It's not a bruise. It's not a mysterious inflammation. It's a mechanical traction injury—a tight tendon repeatedly pulling on a vulnerable growth plate during every high-impact activity.

This issue is fundamentally different from heel pain in adults.

Adults don't have open growth plates. When an adult's Achilles tendon is tight, it pulls on solid, fused bone.

That's why adult solutions like generic compression socks, standard heel cups, and Achilles stretching exercises don't work the same way for growing children.

The anatomy is different. The problem is different. The solution must be different.

And that is why the standard guidelines given by doctors and pediatricians keep failing.

Why everything you've tried hasn't worked (and why it’s not your fault)

I need to be clear on one point: rest, ice, and the other common advice aren't wrong.

They are incomplete.

They manage the symptoms without addressing the mechanical cause. And that's why the pain keeps coming back.

I will explain each of these points in detail so you can understand exactly why.

Rest

Rest reduces pain simply because the child stops running. Less activity means fewer repetitions of that tendon pulling on the growth plate.

The inflammation subsides, the pain decreases, and everyone feels relieved.

But the growth spurt doesn't stop during rest. The bone keeps elongating, and the tendon doesn't magically lengthen while your child is sitting on the couch.

So the mismatch—the root cause of the problem—is still right there when they go back to sports.

This is why the pain returns within a few days of resuming physical activity. Rest relieves the accumulated irritation, but it does nothing to change the structural tension causing it in the first place.

I’ve seen families repeat this cycle four, five, or six times. Every time they pause, they miss weeks of practice, fall behind their teammates, and lose confidence.

And every time they return, the pain comes right back. Rest treats the pain, but the underlying cause persists.

Ice and Anti-inflammatories

Ice and ibuprofen reduce inflammation and pain signals. They temporarily relieve heel pain.

But the inflammation in Sever's disease isn't random; it's caused by the repetitive pulling on the growth plate. Reducing inflammation today just means it will return tomorrow because the mechanical stress hasn't changed.

Some parents have told me they gave their children ibuprofen before every game for months.

This worries me, not only due to the medication exposure, but because it essentially deactivates the body's warning signal while the underlying stress persists.

Heel Cups and Insoles

Heel cups cushion the bottom of the heel, reducing the impact of the foot on the ground. This can be helpful for certain types of heel pain, like bruises or plantar fasciitis.

In children's heel pain, however, the main cause isn't the impact from below, but rather the traction from behind—the Achilles tendon pulling on the back of the growth plate.

Cushioning the bottom of the heel does nothing to reduce that pulling force.

Many parents have spent $15 to $30 on heel cups and wondered why they didn't help. It's simply because they are treating the wrong problem.

Custom Orthotics

Custom orthotics support the arch and correct foot alignment. They are ideal for issues like flat feet, overpronation, and plantar fasciitis.

But the primary issue in Sever's disease isn't arch collapse or misalignment. It's a tight Achilles tendon pulling on a growth plate at the back of the heel.

A child can have a perfect arch and still suffer from severe heel pain if the heel bone is growing faster than the tendon.

Custom orthotics typically cost anywhere from $250 to $500. I've seen families spend this much expecting them to fix the heel pain, only to see minimal improvement because the orthotics address biomechanical factors that are not the root issue.

Physical Therapy and Stretching

Physical therapy is valuable. Calf and Achilles stretches can certainly improve flexibility over time and increase overall resilience.

During a rapid growth spurt, however, the bone elongates faster than stretching can compensate for. The therapist is trying to lengthen the tendon, while biology is actively elongating the bone. The tendon gains a few millimeters of flexibility, but the bone grows another centimeter. The math just doesn't add up.

This is why parents often report that physical therapy "helped a little, but the pain came right back after resuming full training." The therapy was actually working, but it simply couldn't keep up with the pace of growth.

Generic Compression Socks

Parents often try compression socks. Some cost between $10 and $40. Most offer uniform compression across the entire foot and ankle.

Here is the problem: uniform compression squeezes everything evenly. It does not specifically stabilize the precise area where the Achilles tendon attaches to the growth plate.

In some cases, generalized compression can even increase pronation—the tendency of the foot to roll inward—which actually places greater stress on the heel.

A compression sock designed for adult calf muscle recovery is a completely different product from one designed to stabilize a child's growth plate during high-impact sports.

The compression zones are different. The pressure gradients are different. The anatomy is different.

That's why saying "we've already tried compression socks and they didn't work" doesn't mean compression can't help.

It simply means the wrong type of compression was applied to the wrong area.

What Actually Needs to Happen

The answer is simple: the growth plate needs mechanical support at the specific point of tension, delivered right during the activity that aggravates it.

It’s not about cushioning from below.

It’s not about generalized compression across the entire foot.

It’s not about stretching before and icing afterward.

It is about targeted stabilization of the calcaneal apophysis—the exact spot where the Achilles tendon inserts into the growth plate—while they are running, jumping, and changing directions.

This reduces the pulling force on the growth plate with every single step. It doesn't eliminate the growth mismatch, and it won't stop the growth spurt. But it dials down the mechanical stress just enough to let the irritation resolve while your child stays active. The growth plate can finally start to heal instead of re-inflaming at every single practice.

This isn't a new concept. In professional youth sports academies, elite development programs, and Olympic training centers, stabilizing the growth plate during exercise has been standard practice for years. Athletic trainers in those environments wouldn’t dream of letting a young athlete play through calcaneal apophysitis without targeted mechanical support.

The problem is that this approach hasn't crossed over into mainstream pediatric medicine. Pediatricians and family doctors are trained to treat illnesses and prescribe medication, not analyze biomechanics and structural strain. As a result, they prescribe rest and anti-inflammatories, treating Sever’s disease as a medical condition when it is, at its core, a purely mechanical problem.

If Your Child Can't Afford to "Rest" for 12–18 Months, Here Is What You Need to Know

The growth plate needs support during physical activity, not after.

The ComfortHeel sleeve stabilizes the heel right at the point of tension during running and jumping, allowing your child’s growth plate to heal while they continue to play. Most parents notice a significant improvement within 2 to 3 weeks. Plus, it comes backed by a 90-day money-back guarantee.

Check if ComfortHeel is available in your child's size

The professional solution, finally available to all families.

About three years ago, a company called Sooftie launched a product named ComfortHeel:

a compression sleeve designed specifically for children with heel pain caused by the growth plate.

Initially I was skeptical. I had seen many "youth" products that in reality were just adult products in smaller sizes. But when I looked at the design, I noticed something different.

The compression is not uniform. It is gradual, concentrated in particular around the back of the heel bone, where the Achilles tendon inserts into the growth plate. This is exactly the point of traction stress in Sever's disease.

The pressure profile is calibrated for developing tissues: firm enough to provide stabilization, but gentle enough to respect the hormonal sensitivity of growing skin.

The profile is thin enough to be inserted into baseball shoes, soccer shoes, basketball shoes, and track shoes without adding bulk. This is more important than most product designers realize.

I have recommended clinically excellent heel cups and orthopedic insoles that ended up in a closet because the child refused to wear them in baseball shoes.

If a child does not wear them, automatically they do not work.

The ComfortHeel sleeve is an accessory that children actually keep on, and this alone makes it more effective than a superior product that remains closed in the baseball bag.

I started recommending it to the families in my practice who were stuck in the rest-ice cycle. Not as a substitute for stretching and adequate rest, but as a mechanical support.

The results I saw changed my way of working.

The first patient to whom I recommended it was a 10-year-old baseball player named Evan. He had been suffering from bilateral heel pain for five months.

His parents had spent more than 700 euros on orthotics, heel cups, and physical therapy. His training schedule was limited to light jogging—no sprinting, no games. His mother told me that he had started saying he didn't want to go to practice anymore.

I had Evan wear the ComfortHeel sleeve during all activities: practices, games, and even physical education at school.

Within a week, his mother reported that the limping after practice was significantly reduced. He still felt pain, but it was "a different pain, not that sharp, deep sensation."

By the second week, for the first time in months, he managed to complete an entire practice. No ice afterward. His mother sent me a message: "He didn't ask for the ice pack. I was overjoyed!"

By the fourth week, he played in his first tournament. Three games in a single day.

His coach told his parents that he looked like "a different player." Not because his skills had changed, but because he was no longer holding back every time he put his foot on the ground.

It has been six months since he started wearing ComfortHeel and he is completely active and pain-free. He wears the sleeve to every practice and game as a precaution, and his mother says he puts it on without even being reminded.

Evan's case is not unusual.

I had a 12-year-old patient, a basketball player, whose parents were thinking of pulling her from the team because the heel pain was affecting her grades: she was so tired from the lack of sleep that her school performance was suffering.

After three weeks with the sleeve, the night pain that woke her up disappeared. She was able to finish the season.

A 9-year-old gymnast, placed on the "watch list" by her coach due to reduced participation in practice—after just two weeks of using the sleeve during sessions, the coach asked her parents what had changed, noticing greater confidence in her landings.

An 11-year-old soccer player whose father had spent over 700 dollars on MRIs, specialist visits, and physical therapy, only to be told "there is nothing else to do but wait"...

After three weeks of constant use of the ComfortHeel sleeve, the morning limp that had accompanied him daily for eight months was gone.

I do not present these data as results of clinical studies. I present them as observations that I have gathered in my clinical practice, repeatedly, across dozens of families.

The pattern is consistent: targeted compression of the growth plate during physical activity allows the irritation to resolve in a way that the standard protocol and treating symptoms after activity simply cannot do.

What "Normal" Should Actually Be

Based on my experience, here is what most families can expect. I want to be honest because I know there have been disappointments in the past, and I prefer to set realistic expectations rather than make overblown promises.

Week 1:

Typically, the intensity of the pain decreases. Parents often describe the situation by saying: "They still say it hurts, but it's different—more like a tight sensation than that sharp, piercing pain."

The limping after practice might also be less pronounced. This is a good sign; it means the traction tension on the heel is reducing.

Week 2:

Most children manage to complete practices without needing ice afterward. Some parents tell me this is the first real sign of progress: the child gets into the car and doesn't immediately ask for the ice pack.

Night pain—the tossing, turning, and occasional waking up—often improves significantly at this point.

From Week 3 Onward:

Full activity becomes possible. Games, tournaments, and back-to-back practices can happen without the pain roaring back. This is usually when parents tell me:

"It's like having our child back again."

This isn't because the pain has magically vanished overnight, but because for the first time in months, their child can do what they love without paying the price for it later.

I want to be clear: the sleeve does not cure Sever's disease. The growth plate will still fuse on its own natural timeline.

ComfortHeel serves to protect the growth plate from excessive traction during the exact years when the mismatch between bone and tendon growth is at its peak. It allows the child to continue to play and develop instead of sitting on the sidelines and falling behind.

Not every child responds to this exact timeline. Some notice improvements more quickly, while others need a full month. But, in my experience, if you don't see significant improvement within 90 days, it's time to evaluate other factors.

That is why the company offers a 90-day money-back guarantee. If your child does not improve, you will receive a full refund. After everything most families have already spent, a $34 product with a real guarantee is the lowest-risk thing they will try.

Try ComfortHeel Risk-Free with a 90-Day Guarantee

What Other Parents Are Saying

"My son Ethan (11 years old) used to cry in the backseat of the SUV after every weekend tournament. His baseball cleats, which cost a fortune, were so stiff they were destroying his heels due to Sever's disease. We tried $300 orthotics that didn't even fit in the shoes. Then another Little League mom recommended ComfortHeel. It was a miracle. Zero pain from the very first use, it fits perfectly in tight cleats, and my son is back to running the bases with a smile. Buy it, you won't regret it!"

Verified Buyer

Sarah M., Florida

"I hated having to give my son ibuprofen before every single Sunday double-header just so he wouldn't limp on the field. I knew we were just covering up the problem. ComfortHeel solved the mechanical cause of the heel pain in 3 seconds. He wears it under his baseball socks, it doesn't move at all during sprints, and at the end of the day he is fresh and without pain. Seeing my son play happy and without chemicals in his body is priceless."

Verified Buyer

Amanda R., Texas

"I was skeptical because we had already tried the classic gel heel cups from the pharmacy that slipped everywhere inside the baseball shoes. This sleeve, on the other hand, is fantastic: it wraps the foot perfectly and instantly reduces the traction on the heel. My son is back to making explosive sprints out of the batter's box without touching his painful foot in front of the coach anymore. If you have a growing child who does high-intensity sports, this is a mandatory piece of equipment."

Verified Buyer

Jessica T., California

TRY COMFORTHEEL TODAY RISK-FREE

Don't let another sports season pass.

Here is what I say to every parent who sits in my office with a limping child and a list of things that did not work:

You are not doing anything wrong. Simply what they tell you to do is incomplete.

Rest manages symptoms.

Ice reduces inflammation.

Insoles cushion the impact.

Physical therapy strengthens muscles.

But none of this addresses the mechanical tension at the level of the growth plate during the activity that causes the injury.

That tension given by the tight Achilles tendon that pulls the developing growth plate during every run, jump, and push, is what must be supported.

During the activity. Not before. Not after. During...

The ComfortHeel sleeve was designed precisely for this.

Targeted compression at the calcaneal apophysis.

Graduated pressure calibrated for growing feet.

Thin enough to be inserted inside baseball shoes.

So comfortable that children wear it willingly.

It costs 34.90 dollars.

Less than a physical therapy session.

Less than the cost of a pair of heel cups and insoles combined.

Definitely less than the cost of the custom orthopedic orthotics that you have in the closet.

And a 90-day money-back guarantee is included.

If your child does not show improvements, you will be refunded the full amount.

Most of the families who turn to my office experience significant changes within two or three weeks:

✓ Their child completes training without limping

✓ No more night pain

✓ They stop asking for ice

✓ They start talking about their sport again, not the pain.

Your child's growth plate will close anyway, whether you intervene or not.

The question is what will happen between now and then.

Months or years of rest and ice, with consequent loss of ground compared to teammates, weakening of self-confidence, and distancing from the sport they love.

Or a mechanical support during the critical period, so that the body can handle growth and competition at the same time.

Every week of rest is a week that is not recovered.

⚠️ Don't wait for the growth plate to close

Find out if your child's size is available →

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Sooftie ComfortHeel Sleeve

USA's #1 Sleeve designed to relieve heel pain in youth.

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Targeted Compression for Youth Growth Plates

Can be used with baseball shoes and all other athletic shoes without any problems

Designed for athletes between 8 and 15 years old

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. What sizes is the ComfortHeel heel sleeve available in?

ComfortHeel is available in four specific youth sizes, designed for athletes from 8 to 15 years old. You can consult the size guide on the product page to find the right size for your child based on their shoe size.

2. Can my child wear it during games and practices?

Yes. It is designed precisely for this. The sleeve fits inside cleats, sneakers, and athletic shoes without adding bulk. Most kids say they forget they even have it on after the first practice.

3. How does it differ from a normal compression sock?

Normal compression socks apply uniform pressure across the entire foot. ComfortHeel concentrates compression specifically on the heel and the insertion point of the Achilles tendon—the precise area where the growth plate is under stress. This targeted support is what makes it effective for Sever's disease, unlike general compression.

4. What happens if it doesn't work for my child?

ComfortHeel is covered by a 90-day money-back guarantee. If the product isn't right for you, simply contact their support team within 90 days and they will help you with the return. They make the process simple because they know how frustrating it is to spend money on something that doesn't work—most parents in this situation have already been there.

100% Money-Back Guarantee

Contact the Sooftie ComfortHeel Team directly to resolve any product-related issues.

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