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]
I’m looking at the Raiders game on 12/2 as a good game for Berry to come back. Hopefully he can practice a bit before that and then get 5 games under his belt to get back in game shape heading into the playoffs. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
I’m looking at the Raiders game on 12/2 as a good game for Berry to come back. Hopefully he can practice a bit before that and then get 5 games under his belt to get back in game shape heading into the playoffs.
Because you know the condition of his heel so well, right?
I'm looking at Sunday vs the Broncos as a good game for Berry to come back. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
I’m looking at the Raiders game on 12/2 as a good game for Berry to come back. Hopefully he can practice a bit before that and then get 5 games under his belt to get back in game shape heading into the playoffs.
Did you see him with a box cutter and a pair of shoes? [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
You can pretty much rule him out 2 weeks ahead. They'll let him practice for a while I'd think before he plays so no practice this week, no game next week.
If you want him for the Rams, he needs to probably start practicing next week
And let's be honest, they're not going to go all gung ho to get him back just to 'rest' over the bye.
He's not coming back until after the bye at the earliest.
It's just a spectacular shitshow at this point. [Reply]
I honestly would't be surprised if Sorensen comes back and looks healthy.....that they don't just IR Berry. Hold Berry off of IR because you aren't sure if Sorensen is going to come back and you don't want to have to use both of your IR spots on safeties. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Marcellus:
He isn't going on IR so what difference does it make they say its minute to minute, day to day, week to week, or month to month?
It makes zero difference in any way shape or form.
Cause it looks really stupid to keep saying day to day and telling all the big media members "we expect him back at some point" then he keeps sitting around doing nothing. [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
Cause it looks really stupid to keep saying day to day and telling all the big media members "we expect him back at some point" then he keeps sitting around doing nothing.
In fairness, the media kinda looks stupid for asking at this point.
I mean what the hell do you expect him to say? We know the !@#$ing answer. And we know that none of it matters until he's been practicing for at least 2 weeks.
So when you walk out there one day with your pen and your pad and you're looking to ask Dustin Colquitt if he's feeling rejuvenated now that he has to punt once every 2 weeks and you see some fucking homeless guy with a 29 on his back and a helmet on running around with Emmitt Thomas, then maybe go ahead and ask Andy a question about it.
Until that time, why even bother? Is Brooke Pryor gonna give someone a handy if they're the person who finally asks Andy for a status update and he says "we're gonna have him at practice this week..."?
{checks the googles....will NOT be asking Andy for an update just to be safe...} [Reply]
Originally Posted by O.city:
Cause it looks really stupid to keep saying day to day and telling all the big media members "we expect him back at some point" then he keeps sitting around doing nothing.
I think the only people flipping out about that reside here. I haven't seen anything from media or press about it other than a couple of jokes about him being day to day on twitter from KC media.
This sounds more like the type of thing that annoys fans but in the end doesn't really mean much. I have said they should undersell and over deliver but obviously they aren't doing that.
I don't know if they are playing coy so teams don't know whether to game plan for Berry being out there or what.
I don't understand the logic being used here either but honestly don't understand why people think it makes a difference in the end.