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 Iconic:
When he eventually does take the field this season and it's absolutely magical all of you will fold like a lawn chair and suck each others dicks in this very same thread.
Overreaction planet never let's me down.
I do hope that he returns and helps lift the Chiefs to the SB, but I still want his ass cut in the offseason. Enough is enough. They have this great thing called the draft and there's some good safeties in it this year. Get one, or 3. [Reply]
Originally Posted by threebag02:
It’s time for an injury settlement.
How many times are you going to say shit like this with no clue what an injury settlement is or how it's used? It doesn't apply to Eric Berry. Not even a little bit. They either cut him or they don't. [Reply]
Originally Posted by GloryDayz:
If he's trying to sell that he gives a shit, it might help move my meter a bit. So far he looks content to make his money and eat Cheetos.
He doesn't have to sell shit to you. Seems like his teammates know what he's doing through and that he wants to be out there with them and that's why they still have him lead the pregame stuff Posted via Mobile Device [Reply]
Originally Posted by kccrow:
How many times are you going to say shit like this with no clue what an injury settlement is or how it's used? It doesn't apply to Eric Berry. Not even a little bit. They either cut him or they don't.
Don't care, I'm fine with cutting him. And if he plays next week for the Raiders we will have known he was a fraud for 14 weeks.
That being said, it would be interesting to see what team would take a chance on him.
Let's just hope he decides to end his vacation this Thursday, and plays like a beast. It won't be forgiven by some of us, but it'll at least quiet us down until the season's over. [Reply]
Originally Posted by -King-:
He doesn't have to sell shit to you. Seems like his teammates know what he's doing through and that he wants to be out there with them and that's why they still have him lead the pregame stuff
Posted via Mobile Device
Is that why Tyreek went out of his way to mention that his mother taught him to be tough when he was asked about his heel injury?
Originally Posted by Tyreek:
“I’m going to do whatever it takes for this team. My momma always taught me not to be soft, no matter the circumstances. These are my brothers, and I know they’ll do the same thing for me.”
Originally Posted by -King-:
He doesn't have to sell shit to you. Seems like his teammates know what he's doing through and that he wants to be out there with them and that's why they still have him lead the pregame stuff Posted via Mobile Device
And I don't have to speak nicely about the fucking bum either. I don't owe him shit.
And let's not forget how many of those same players came to Smith's defense last year about him being awesome, ya think they aren't glad they now have PM instead of the man they lobbied for "visually" last year? So don't be so sure that the team member's words are what they're really feeling, they might just be being nice.
Either way, Haglund needs to get out there and play or the negative comments that "he appears to care less about than playing football" will just get louder. Look at this thread pal! [Reply]
Is that why Tyreek went out of his way to mention that his mother taught him to be tough when he was asked about his heel injury?
I really believe that cancer softened Berry up. I know my dad is a cancer survivor & he’s not the same guy. It makes you think about other stuff instead of what you once thought was important. [Reply]
It's pretty simple, Eric Berry got paid and lost the same motivation/drive that he had previously.
It happens all of the time.
I get that some people can't come to terms with that reality, bringing up the fact he returned from a major knee injury and cancer, but that was all before he got paid. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCChiefsFan88:
It's pretty simple, Eric Berry got paid and lost the same motivation/drive that he had previously.
It happens all of the time.
I get that some people can't come to terms with that reality, bringing up the fact he returned from a major knee injury and cancer, but that was all before he got paid.
And this is why you structure contracts a lot smarter than what they did with Berry.
The Hunts should have learned a very hard, very costly, lesson here, but sadly I doubt that too. [Reply]