When an adolescent complains of pain in the knees, Osgood-Schlatter Disease may be the cause, especially if the adolescent plays sports or had a recent growth spurt. The syndrome is typically seen in active boys ages 13 to 14 and girls ages 11 to 12. Osgood-Schlatter Disease symptoms vary and usually go away with minimal treatment once the teen's bones stop growing. In the meantime, chiropractic therapies are often used to ease knee pain and stimulate healing.
Definition
Osgood-Schlatter Disease, named after the two physicians who identified the syndrome, results from stress on the quadriceps or thigh muscles. The patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shinbone, becomes stressed from overexertion. The condition can occur in one or both knees.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease is particularly common among adolescents going through puberty who play team sports or take part in activities that involve a lot of jumping, running and quick directional changes. These motions put repetitive stress on the patellar tendon. Sports and activities where such moves are present are football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, ballet, gymnastics and figure skating.
Symptoms
An adolescent with Osgood-Schlatter Disease experiences pain, tenderness and swelling in the area slightly below the kneecap. The knee pain heightens during activities that rely on the knee, such as climbing stairs, running or jumping.
Other symptoms include tightness in the quadriceps muscle. Oftentimes, a bony lump appears below the kneecap, a result of new bone growth filling the gap left when the patellar tendon shifted away from the shinbone.
Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic therapies are commonly used to treat Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Before determining the best course of treatment, the chiropractor conducts a biomechanical assessment of the spine, the muscles and joints in the legs and the pelvic joints. A magnetic resonance imaging scan or X-ray may also be taken.
Along with ice therapy and rest, chiropractic care for Osgood-Schlatter Disease includes manual therapies of the quadriceps. Cross friction massage stretches and loosens the muscles, while post-isometric relaxation (PIR) stretching relieves pain in the soft tissues.
As the pain subsides, treatment focuses on exercises that strengthen the quadriceps, calf muscles and hamstring. This helps ease tension on the patellar tendon.
Because the knee can be sensitive for several years while the adolescent goes through growth spurts, chiropractic care is used to alleviate discomfort after sports and other activities.
Tags: Osgood-Schlatter Disease, patellar tendon, activities that, below kneecap, knee pain, knees Osgood-Schlatter