Does your child experience knee pain? If you have an active child who is experiencing pain in the knees, it may be a condition called Osgood-Schlatter Disease…but there’s help!
What is Osgood-Schlatter?
Osgood-Schlatter disease is essentially a painful bump right below the kneecap. It is usually found in growing children and teenagers going through a growth spurt. Typically, Osgood-Schlatter can be found in very active children that do a lot of sports or activities with running and jumping.
Who can get Osgood-Schlatter?
The disease is reported to be more common in boys than girls. The age range of children affected tends to be between 10-15 years old, often during periods of rapid growth. Symptoms Children will commonly report knee pain that gets worse with activity (especially running and jumping) and tends to feel better with rest. Often times, you may see a small swollen bump under your child’s kneecap, which is often tender to touch. The amount of pain experience varies considerably between children, with some having very mild pain, while for others this disease can cause significant levels of discomfort.
How does Osgood-Schlatters Happen?
When children go through periods of rapid growth and do a lot of activity, there is a lot of pulling force created by the quadriceps muscle and its tendon. Since this muscle attaches directly to the top of the shinbone, it creates a lot of pull on this area, causing it to become inflamed and painful.
Treatment
If your child has been diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatters, rest assured, there is help! Rest is a very important part of Osgood-Schlatters disease, as well as putting ice on the knee regularly (and especially after exercise) to help keep the swelling down. Making an appointment with a physiotherapist for an assessment will aid recovery, as they can create a balanced exercise program to help stretch the quadriceps muscle and strengthen the other muscles around the knee to prevent further injury.
For more information about Osgood-Schlatters or other conditions your child may be experiencing, feel free to contact Meghan by calling 514.684.9073 or book an appointment directly online today!