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.
----
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 Pasta Giant Meatball:
The ones calling him a pussy probably call in to work with a cold or some shit :-)
He's a pussy... If he wasn't he'd either be playing or giving us meaningful details. So far all we get is "he's day-to-day" and he looks like he lives under a bridge. [Reply]
The situation is magnifying due to hitting the halfway point in the season and players are getting dinged up. Another playing body would provide some much needed help right about now for any of the positions that are getting thin. There needs to be a point to determine if surgery is needed and open up a roster spot. I have much respect for Berry but business is business. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ku_jhawk23:
A Haglund's is not just a "bone spur" as some like to call it. I have a heel spur, its on the bottom middle of my heel. It triggered plantar fasciitis. I got some custom insoles made, and the pain went away in a week.
A Haglund's is a spur rubbing against the achilles. It can be very painful, and since Berry already ruptured an achilles, he's probably worried about it happening again. It's possible he has this in both ankles, and it helped cause his rupture last year.
I think the Chiefs really screwed this up. He should have underwent surgery to remove the spur immediately. It takes longer to heel than "hoping the pain goes away" but it can fix it long term. I'd rather he be sitting out now, knowing what is going on, than wondering if we will see him again. He could have been put on the PUP to start at least, and we could have had someone in here to get some reps.
Man I think I have plantar fasciitis the past few weeks I cant walk without limping. I've read how its treated online and I'm currently in between switching coverage. I dont want to pay hundreds just to have someone tell me the same shit I read online. [Reply]
Originally Posted by GloryDayz:
He's a pussy... If he wasn't he'd either be playing or giving us meaningful details. So far all we get is "he's day-to-day" and he looks like he lives under a bridge.
Nowhere in your incoherent rambling do you make a valid point... [Reply]
Originally Posted by ku_jhawk23:
A Haglund's is not just a "bone spur" as some like to call it. I have a heel spur, its on the bottom middle of my heel. It triggered plantar fasciitis. I got some custom insoles made, and the pain went away in a week.
A Haglund's is a spur rubbing against the achilles. It can be very painful, and since Berry already ruptured an achilles, he's probably worried about it happening again. It's possible he has this in both ankles, and it helped cause his rupture last year.
I think the Chiefs really screwed this up. He should have underwent surgery to remove the spur immediately. It takes longer to heel than "hoping the pain goes away" but it can fix it long term. I'd rather he be sitting out now, knowing what is going on, than wondering if we will see him again. He could have been put on the PUP to start at least, and we could have had someone in here to get some reps.
What I don't understand is why didn't they immediately go in and take the spur off when they founnd it? Do they think the spur is just going to go away on its own? I don't know anything about spurs, but I wouldn't think they would just disappear. I also wouldn't think it would be a very long healing process from the surgery, but they know more about this than I do. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TrebMaxx:
The situation is magnifying due to hitting the halfway point in the season and players are getting dinged up. Another playing body would provide some much needed help right about now for any of the positions that are getting thin. There needs to be a point to determine if surgery is needed and open up a roster spot. I have much respect for Berry but business is business.
It would have been nice to do that. But hindsight is also 20/20. I actually believe the day to day business. Early on because they didn't know when he'd be ready. I wonder if berry, the Chiefs, or both are playing this really safe. If the Chiefs were desperate maybe he takes a risk and plays through the pain. Ideally you get him back for the rams game. If not, after the bye week is perfect. I'd be more anxious about this if this was costing us games. But for now it's not. I just want him in football shape by the playoffs. [Reply]
Originally Posted by TambaBerry:
Because calling into a boring mundane 9-5 job is the same as missing a 2-3 hour game where you play half of it. Dont be ****ing stupid
Honestly it's really not even that much. There are on average around 11 action minutes in a football game. So it's more like 5-6 minutes where he's actually doing anything. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Incorrect. There is zero chance that Berry is risking further injury by playing. That appeared in more than one article on the subject.
There absolutely IS a difference.
First off you don't actually know this. All you know is some report from a guy that hasn't been confirmed.
As much as you like to act like it, you don't KNOW whats going on. [Reply]
I still don't see how if they didn't think he was going to play why he hasn't been placed on IR.
Because as I suggested above they have medically cleared him to play. It is up to Berry whether he can handle the pain to play, which is what Clark and Reid have pretty much said since week 3.
Probably a good idea that they didn't put him in IR anyway since we already have 12 on there and can only bring back 2 and they are hoping he will play closer to the playoffs.