Growing pains ARE real!

Does your child complain of knee or heel pain, especially after running or sport?

Have they recently had a growth spurt?

Then he/she may be suffering from one of a range of conditions which are related to growing (e.g. Osgood Schlatter’s/Sever’s Disease). It’s estimated that up to 1 in 10 athletes aged 10-14 years will have some form of this.

When bones grow, the muscles around them should also be growing at the same rate however, in some cases the muscles grow more slowly and so are stretched along a lengthening bone, much like an elastic band might stretch over an expanding telescope.

Because the attachments of muscle (tendons) are onto soft, growing bone, this continual pulling can cause inflammation, pain and swelling. This is worse with sport. If left untreated there can be long term problems and in extreme cases the tendon can pull the attachment completely away.

Our physiotherapists can assess the extent of the problem, identify the cause and then develop a treatment program to manage the condition through the growing phase. This may include taping, individually prescribed stretches and modifications to training.

Sometimes there will need to be complete rest from sport but if picked up early this may not be necessary.

Written by our Senior Physiotherapist Janet Parsons