Knee pain in teenage athletes.....maybe it's Osgood Schlatters Disorder??

Knee pain in teenage athletes…..maybe it’s Osgood Schlatters Disorder??

Is your teenager complaining of pain in their knee during training and/or matches?

Is there a noticeable swelling at the front of their knee?

Does it get worse the more they train?

You little hero could be suffering from Osgood schlatters disorder, its not ‘growing pains’ it’s a condition that leads to pain in the front of the knee due usually to two key factors

-growth spurt

-increase/high levels of sport/loading

What happens in Osgood Schlatters Disorder?

The patellar tendon ( the tendon that joins your kneecap to the front of your shin bone or tibia) tugs away at the growth plate at the top of the knee causing inflammation and sometimes a bump on the knee.

Does rest help it?

It will settle it down short term but stopping sport and resting will not solve it.

How do I manage it?

We encourage active recovery, managing the training/match/sporting load in the short term to keep you doing the things you love to do

Hands-on treatment focused on the knee soft tissues can help settle the pain response, and muscle guarding as well as helping restore mobility in the hip and ankle can reduce the symptoms at the knee.

Targeted strengthening of the whole of the lower limb. Building strength, mobility and endurance in the whole of the upper limb particularly the hip musculature helps reduce the load distribution and the load tolerance in the knee helping to settle down symptoms and reduce the pain in the front of the knee.

Sport specific rehabilitation to help replicate the loads you will be managing in your sport is key to prepare your body both physically and psychologically to have the confidence to return fully to your chosen sport.

Take home message:

Rest will not solve this problem.

High quality physiotherapy management that is specific to your issue, targeting strengthening of the specific muscle groups involved in your issue and sport specific rehabilitation you need to return fully to your sport confident and performing better than before.