REPORT: Eric Berry has a Haglund’s deformity on his heel
New information on Berry’s sore heel injury emerged on Saturday.
By Pete Sweeney Sep 29, 2018, 1:15pm CDT
Eric Berry has not practiced or played for the Kansas City Chiefs since August 11 in St. Joseph, Missouri, because of what the team has described as a “sore heel.”
The last we heard from the Chiefs athletic training staff was in early September, when head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder described the injury as “literally day to day.”
More information on Berry’s injury emerged Saturday morning, via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo:
Mike Garafolo: “My understanding, and I’ve spoken to people familiar with his injury situation. He’s got what’s called a Haglund’s deformity in that Achilles. That’s a bone spur that basically digs into the Achilles. Shaun O’ Hara, our colleague at NFL Network, he had it. I spoke to him this week. He said it is extremely painful. He actually used a more colorful word that I won’t use here. It’s just something that continues to irritate the area. Some guys have been able to play with it—you get a shoe here or there, you can adjust … but that’s what’s going on. It’s going to be a pain management thing. It’s not like this thing will tear the Achilles necessarily. A lot of these cases don’t result in a tear, but that’s why with Berry right now, he has not played, and they’ve been doing OK. That’s going to allow them a little bit more patience with Berry, but it is extremely painful.”
This provides a little more clarity than Berry’s injury simply being a “sore heel,” which is good, but what’s bad is there still seems to be no timetable. Remember, Berry missed nearly the entirety of the 2017 season due to a ruptured Achilles on the other leg.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was mum on the injury when asked about it Saturday afternoon after the Chiefs’ final practice of the week.
Berry is officially ruled doubtful heading into the Monday night game against the Denver Broncos.
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Here are the notes from our in-house medical expert, Aaron Borgmann:
A lot of talk today regarding something known as a Haglund’s deformity. It was reported by a media source that the player in question suffers from this condition. This discussion is not to confirm or deny that possibility, as I can only explain the available information that we have been given. To be clear, the team has not confirmed this diagnosis and I have no advance knowledge of the player’s current condition.
The simple explanation here that it is indeed a bone spur on the backside of someone’s heel. This is frequently known as a “pump bump” from the occurrence that it is often seen in women’s fashion from the shoes that they wear. However, incidence in football players is also common, sometimes referred to as “retrocalcaneal bursitis” as well.
The bone spur irritates the bursa (fluid-filled sac) that sits between the bone and the tendon or even the tendon itself directly. This can cause a great deal of inflammation and discomfort with any sort of dynamic ankle/foot movement, worse with pressure on the spot itself.
Having one in and of itself it not uncommon, but the degree to which it bothers someone is the issue. Depending upon demands of movement, these can range from debilitating to just a nuisance. Obviously, in football players, the degree of inflammation is what dictates the level of function.
These are diagnosed both visually and radiographically and it is a situation where if you see it and player complains of certain symptoms (pain with movement in that exact spot, swelling, redness) then you can be pretty sure that is what it is.
Treatment focuses on reduction of inflammation obviously directly over the spot. This can be done both topically and through systemic medication. Soft tissue lengthening in both the calf and bottom of the foot is also done to alleviate the issue from both sides – this is due to the fact that both the calf and plantar fascia connect to the calcaneus (heel bone) on either side.
Not to be forgotten is footwear modification and adjustment. Very rigid shoes can cause this irritation, and in some athletes, I would even cut the shoe in the heel to allow room for the bump. Other options include specialized padding and friction reduction methods. Heel lifts have been shown to be helpful in some.
For this condition, non-surgical intervention is preferred to reduce the inflammation as opposed to surgical due to the immobilization period.
If the inflammation can be reduced and the function level high, many players learned to adapt their daily routines to accommodate. They may have to put in a bit more time in order to get ready due to the condition’s demands but can nonetheless get by and still perform at a high level. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
Not really.
We play the 4-2 Bengals tomorrow. We still have to play the Rams, Chargers and Ravens.
We are not a lock yet by any stretch.
When the Pats go down to the CHI and we tear the stripes off the pussies we will be 6-1 vs a couple of 4-3 beta squads.
Originally Posted by Chief Roundup:
Not really.
We play the 4-2 Bengals tomorrow. We still have to play the Rams, Chargers and Ravens.
We are not a lock yet by any stretch.
Chargers and Ravens at home, Rams on a neutral field. Is head to head the first tiebreaker for determining seeding? [Reply]
I don't think Berry will be back at all during the regular season...not if the Chiefs are winning, and to be honest that probably won't even matter.
But do the Chiefs really want to take a gamble on a guy who hasn't played football in essentially 2 seasons, and test a gimpy foot that could go out at any given moment in what it likely to be cold/bad weather conditions...in the most important game(s) of the year, esp for Mahomes?
If he can only be let's say 70% tops, filled to the gills in pain meds trying to tough out the pain, I mean is that even worth it? I know he's "Eric Berry" but you also have to be realistic about it too. No practicing or football contact etc, nothing for 2 seasons. He's a verbal leader on/off the field, but ultimately you have to makes plays, I just don't think it's likely he'll be much help at all. And there's probably a good chance he doesn't even make it back this season at all.
If that's the case, then the Chiefs handled this about as poorly as a team could. Should have just gotten surgery the moment he came out of camp due to the inj.
The news about the Haglund's deformity didn't come out til long after EB went out. The team Dr's had to have known what the issue was up front, esp given his medical history. I just don't understand what the Chiefs thought, vs what Eric Berry "thinks" he's able to do physically, vs what the Dr's said. I would have to assume Dr's would say get the surgery and "fix" the deformity.
Eric Berry doesn't owe the fans anything. It's just a bad deal as a fan because you want to see the team get better, but you have your 2 best most expensive pieces riding pine while your SB hopes all hinge on whether or not a historically bad #32 ranked D can hold it's head above the water now that we FINALLY have a franchise QB after 30 something fucking yrs.
Gee...what happened last time KC had #1 offense #32 defense coming into a home playoff game? We've seen this show before. And fans are worried about getting the same result. [Reply]
Originally Posted by CoMoChief:
I don't think Berry will be back at all during the regular season...not if the Chiefs are winning, and to be honest that probably won't even matter.
But do the Chiefs really want to take a gamble on a guy who hasn't played football in essentially 2 seasons, and test a gimpy foot that could go out at any given moment in what it likely to be cold/bad weather conditions...in the most important game(s) of the year, esp for Mahomes?
If he can only be let's say 70% tops, filled to the gills in pain meds trying to tough out the pain, I mean is that even worth it? I know he's "Eric Berry" but you also have to be realistic about it too. No practicing or football contact etc, nothing for 2 seasons. He's a verbal leader on/off the field, but ultimately you have to makes plays, I just don't think it's likely he'll be much help at all. And there's probably a good chance he doesn't even make it back this season at all.
If that's the case, then the Chiefs handled this about as poorly as a team could. Should have just gotten surgery the moment he came out of camp due to the inj.
The news about the Haglund's deformity didn't come out til long after EB went out. The team Dr's had to have known what the issue was up front, esp given his medical history. I just don't understand what the Chiefs thought, vs what Eric Berry "thinks" he's able to do physically, vs what the Dr's said. I would have to assume Dr's would say get the surgery and "fix" the deformity.
Eric Berry doesn't owe the fans anything. It's just a bad deal as a fan because you want to see the team get better, but you have your 2 best most expensive pieces riding pine while your SB hopes all hinge on whether or not a historically bad #32 ranked D can hold it's head above the water now that we FINALLY have a franchise QB after 30 something fucking yrs.
Gee...what happened last time KC had #1 offense #32 defense coming into a home playoff game? We've seen this show before. And fans are worried about getting the same result.
Berry is proving himself to be a pussy. Not that saying it helps us, but it doesn't change the fact that he's proving that he's a pussy.
Talk about a man who has gone from "admired hero" to zero! Berry found a way to do it. But alas, he's only in it for the cash now, and he's getting tons of that! TONS! [Reply]
Sounds like bullshit, but I'd be fucking elated if he got surgery with an eight week recovery schedule during TC somehow. Don't believe it at all, but that would be dope as hell. [Reply]