Osgood-Schlatter's Disease: The Role of Physical Therapy in Recovery

Osgood-Schlatter's disease is a common orthopedic condition that primarily affects adolescents during their growth spurts. This often arises due to overuse and stress on the growth plates in the bones, leading to pain and discomfort. In this blog, we'll delve into the specifics of Osgood-Schlatter's Disease and explore how physical therapy can play a crucial role in managing and alleviating the symptoms.

Osgood-Schlatter's disease is characterized by inflammation of the patellar tendon and the tibial tuberosity, the bony prominence just below the kneecap. It commonly occurs in those involved in sports that require repetitive knee movements, such as running and jumping.

Symptoms typically include pain and tenderness just below the kneecap at the tibial tuberosity which worsens during more physical activity. So how does Physical Therapy help? These symptoms are arising due to excess stress on the knee through the quad and patellar tendon, seen above. The first step is to begin to take stress off of the knee during leg movements, which we do by strengthening the hip muscles. An example of differing exercise selection can be seen below.

At Zion Physical Therapy, we will design customized strength programs to target the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes, promoting better knee stability and reducing stress on the patellar tendon. Along with strengthening, we must also improve mobility in the hip and ankle to take excess pressure off the knee during activity. Once pain is more under control, we re-introduce sport/activity specific exercises to get our patients back on the field.

Phone: 212-353-8693 • Fax: 347-507-5510 • Office Email: frontdesk@zionpt.com