Growing Pains

Growing pains are found in many different places. In this blog we are going to talk about some of the common locations.

The first location that growing pains is around the heel of the ankle. This is called severs which is also known as calcanea apophysitis. It is the inflammation of the growth plate in the heel which is called the calcaneus. It is produced by repetitive stress to the heel. It is also when growth spurts, tendons change rapidly and suddenly. Kids who play in running sports and jumping sports are at most risk of getting severs. However, kids or are less active are still susceptible in getting this especially if they have flat feet.

To help relieve symptoms calf stretches are recommended and applying soft tissue on the calf muscle. Also, applying strengthening exercises of the calf to build up strength. If the athlete does a lot of sport load management is important so the symptoms do not come back.

Another growth related injury is Osgood-Schlatter’s disease. It is common in adolescents and it is the inflammation in the area just below the knee where the tendon from the knee cap attaches to the shin bone. This disease is common when bony structures, muscles and tendon are changing. Again running and jumping are the most common ways of producing this dies in the knee. Ice, load management when back to sport, soft tissue release work on the quad muscle, stretches of the quadriceps and also strengthening the quads are common ways of reducing the pain of the athletes.

The last growing injury is called Sinding-Larsen Johansson disease. This is when pain occurs at the bottom of the knee cap where the growing plate is located. It is a rupture of the patellar ligament. This is where the rectus femoris attaches to one of the quadricep muscles. This is an overuse injury not a traumatic injury. Following from the other grown pain diseases. Load management, soft tissue release work on the quads, strengthening quadricep muscles by doing wall sits and other eccentric exercises.