Everyone has a bump at the back of the heel bone. Most are smaller, but some can be bigger. When you put that foot into footwear that needs to be quite rigid (like ice skates) than that enlarged bit of bone (Haglund’s deformity) can become quite painful. Some even called this a Bauer’s bump, after the brand name of the most popular ice skates.
The only way to get rid of a Haglunds deformity is with surgery, so if you do not want or need that, then wearing ice skates can be challenge. There is plenty that can be done to help with the symptoms and keep it under control without surgery:
- Doughnut or u-shaped pads can be used to get pressure of the Haglund’s bump. This can either be stuck on the foot or adhered into the shoe.
- Sometimes a simple heel raise can help. This can simply move the bump away from a pressure point in the ice skates.
- A skilled skate fitter may be able to make adjusts to the ice skate to make allowance for the bump. This might mean using a grinder to cut away some of the boot.
