Osgood Slaughter Syndrome and How it Can Affect You

Osgood Slaughter Syndrome, also known as the Osgood Schlatter disease, affects the lives of many active girls and boys in their adolescent age. It is said to occur more in boys than in girls, since boys are more active and have a tendency to participate in more risky activities. Osgood Schlatter is an inflammation of the growth plate at the tibial tuberosity.

One of the first signs of Osgood Schlatter is knee pain. The knee pain will usually present itself during activities such as walking, running, squatting, and walking up and down stairs. The pain usually occurs right below the knee cap, on the front of the knee. First signs are swelling of the knee and tenderness to touch. One good way of knowing that your child may have Osgood Schlatters is if you notice them rubbing their knee after and during activities.

Osgood Schlatter usually only develops in growing children. Therefore, the pain is rarely found to still be noticeable once a child has stopped growing. Osgood Schlatter will usually go away within time, and it's often found not to even need medical attention. Actually, applying ice and wrap style bandages can usually make the pain go away. There is a very easy way to help you in treating Osgood, simply think of the word RICE. The R stands for resting the knee from any activity that would be painful. The I is for applying ice to the affected area. The C stands for compressing the area with a stretchy wrap style bandage, and the E is for elevation. If the RICE treatment doesn't seem to be any help, then you really should send your child to a doctor.

A doctor could treat the condition in many ways. They could have your child to cut down on the amount of time that your child spends playing sports, as well as having your child to run a lot slower than normal. For more serious conditions, your child's doctor may suggest that they wear braces, or use crutches to limit the amount of pressure that is applied to the knee. It could take anywhere from weeks to months for the pain to completely disappear. In this time, activity should be limited and over the counter pain relievers such as Aspirin and Tylenol can be used to keep the swelling down. Never allow your child to keep playing and ignore the pain. This only makes the condition worse and more serious, resulting in a more difficult treatment.

So, if you feel that your child may have the symptoms of Osgood Schlatter, allow them plenty of time to rest. Make sure that they stay clear of activity that requires bending and stretching the knee. Activity like this will only make the condition worse and the healing process will be much longer than normal.

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