Adolescent, Young Person & Teenage Muscular Conditions

If we feel that Physiotherapy is not apprpriate we will advise on how best to manage your condition.

We have established links with local General Practitioners and excellent knowledge of local NHS pathways to facilitate onward referral when required.

Common Conditions

Severs Disease

Severs DISEASE (also known as Severs apophysitis) is a common cause of heel pain in young children between the ages of 8-12. Pain is located where the Achilles tendon (tendon for the calf muscle) attaches to the heel bone. When a young person goes through a growth spurt, the tendon can often pull at the heel bone.

Bones grow faster than the muscles can adapt and as a result they become increasingly tight, This tightness and repetitive pulling on the achilles tendon may cause inflammation of the growth plate (an area of developing bone) on the heel.

Symptoms are often experienced taking part in high impact activities such as running and jumping.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Osgood-Schlatter Disease is a common condition that causes pain and swelling below the knee joint, where the patella tendon (tendon attachment for the thigh muscle) attaches to the top of the shin (tibia), a location called the tibial tuberosity.

The condition as like Severs disease is often caused when a young person goes through rapid growth between the ages of 10 and 14. Bones grow faster than the muscles can adapt and as a result they become increasingly tight. This tightness and repetitive pulling on the patella tendon can cause pain and swelling around the growth plate.

Symptoms are often experienced in high impact activities and kneeling.

Sinding-Larsen Johansson Syndrome

Sinding-Larson Johansson Syndrome is a common cause of knee pain in children and adolescents particularly if they are sporty and had a recent growth spurt.

The condition is characterised by pain at the bottom of the kneecap where the patella tendon attaches. As previously mentioned, our bones grow faster than the muscles can adapt and as a result they become increasingly tight. Tightness of the thigh muscles with repetitive stress through high impact activities such as running can cause pain and swelling at the bottom of the kneecap (patella).

Chrondromalacia Patella

Chrondromalacia Patella is another common knee pain in young adults and teenagers, The condition is caused by softening / breakdown / damage of the cartilage underneath the patella and is more common in females. It is not clear why the cartilage softens / breaks down, however, it is often thought that the patella rubs on the thigh bone instead of gliding over smoothly.

Often with repetitive activity, muscle imbalances, growth, acute injury or leg alignment differences, symptoms develop at the front of the knee.

Low Back Pain`

Adolescent low back pain has been identified to be attributed to a number of factors. These factors include gender, age, posture, prolonged sitting, activity levels and psychological factors, for example anxiety and stress,

The most common cause of back related pain in adolescents is from the paraspinal muscles either side of the spine. Muscle related low back pain has been identified to be attributed to prolonged postures, carrying heavy school bags, participation in sports and overuse. In the majority of cases, symptoms can be reduced and managed with physiotherapy stretches.

There are however, a number of other causes to low back pain and should you experience worsening night pain, constant pain that spreads into the buttocks / legs and prolonged morning stiffness, greater than 30 minutes please contact your General Practitioner.