One-Two Magazine November 2014 | Page 7

Russ Wrigley is Head of Academy Sports Science and Medicine at Blackburn Rovers Football Club and also works at

Denise Park Chartered Physiotherapists

29 Peel St, Clitheroe, Lancashire BB7 1NH

Tel: 01200 423181

OSGOOD-SCHLATTER'S DISEASE

The most common injury effecting youth soccer players

What is it? Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease causes pain swelling and tenderness just below the knee

Osgood’s commonly effects young males going through a

growth spurt during preteen or teenage years (U12-U16) effecting one or both knees. It is caused by bone outgrowing the muscles in the front of the thigh (quadriceps) causing them to pull against their attachment on the shin bone bringing on symptoms. Adolescents can grow up to an inch in a 24hour window. Muscles will take physiologically up to six weeks to adapt to this change.

Consequently if an individual is to continue to grow during this period the muscles will fail to catch up (physiologically adapt) resulting in symptoms of pain and swelling.

What can you do: the symptoms will usually go away with time or when the child stops growing, however some things that can help are:

•Be accurately diagnosed by a physiotherapist

•Ice, helps relieve swelling and pain

•Let pain/symptoms dictate training schedule

•Stretching, this helps lengthen the muscles and ultimately place less stress on the areas of tenderness. While physiologically helping the muscles adapt quicker to the maturational changes that have instigated the symptoms.

Take Away Points:

•Initially seek professional advice

•Let pain be your guide, in most cases activity can be continued

•ICE

•STRETCH – Most importantly encourage all adolescent footballers to stretch, symptoms or no symptoms for its better to prevent than treat.

by Russ Wrigley