Your Childrens Health

During a child’s growth spurt, their bones grow very fast. If your child is involved in excessive running and jumping activities, they may be at risk of developing Osgood – Schlatter Disease.

This disease is an overuse syndrome that causes tenderness, swelling and pain below the kneecap. OS Disease is more common in athletic children than in nonathletes. It affects as many as one in five adolescent athletes. This condition is most common in boys from the ages of thirteen and fourteen and girls from the ages of ten to eleven, but is more common in boys.

Having this disease can be frustrating. The child may have to limit their physical activities for a short time.  Thankfully, the condition is temporary. It normally lasts six to twenty four months. As the child’s bones finish growing their pain should diminish. Some signs and symptoms include:

• Pain, swelling and tenderness just below the kneecap
• Knee pain that gets worse when participating in psychical activity
• Tightness of surrounding muscles

The pain can vary from person to person, with discomfort lasting for weeks or months. This disease is caused by repetitive activities that put stress on the top of the tibia. Activities that are most stressful include:

• Football
• Baseball
• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Gymnastics
• Ballet

Call your doctor if your child has any symptoms of Osgood – Schlatter Disease. Your doctor will do a physical exam of the child’s knee. He will be looking for redness, swelling, tenderness and pain.

Complications with this disease are not common. It usually gets better without a formal treatment. There are a few steps you can take to relieve the pain and inflammation. You can try some of the following tips:

• Put ice on the affected area, this helps with pain and swelling
• Use of pain relievers such as Advil, Motrin and Tylenol
• Stretch the muscles around the knee
• Try cycling or swimming
• Protect the knee when your child is participating in activities

If you have any questions or concerns contact your doctor.

Related:

This entry was posted on Monday, April 17th, 2006 at 3:38 pm and is filed under Adolescence, Growing Pains. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.