Osgood Schlatter's conflicting advice and a mother's view

1. Guest 11 November 2009 at 21:58PM
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   First,I don't understand why it's called a 'disease' as one usually associates this term with a virus or similar pathogens. From what I gather it's a developmental problem or maybe a response to the modern age where kids sit around a lot and then have sudden bursts of activity. Most medical sites say it's not a serious condition, yet reading other comments it seems that this can continue into adulthood and cause major problems. My doctor cannot really advise me on this (he even googled this site in front of me in a consultation!).

   Do other parents feel similarily confused? If I take my 13 year old son out of PE lessons then he is in danger of being seen as a 'wimp' (I don't subscribe to this terminology ) in front of his classmates and his PE teacher. If I tell him he can play basketball for a while but has to tell the teacher if his knee hurts, then if his team is losing and he walks off the court midway, he's gonna get a lot of grief. I've been told swimming is okay, yet this site and others inform us that intense thigh muscle activity can exasperate the problem.

   Maybe this condition is more widespread than initially thought but parents and doctors in the past have just dismissed it as 'growing pains'.

   I would welcome some advice on how other parents deal with this. And also from teenagers who are dealing or have dealt with this. Do I take my kid out of PE for 6 months and risk ostracising him from his peers or let him carry on with a few breaks here and there and risk him having to be in a cast?

   I'd welcome any feedback.

   Thanks, Pam

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2. Guest 29 March 2010 at 01:06AM

   im a teen and ive had osd for a year and i can barely play sports what i would do is give him a choice on when to come out. I do both p.e. and soccer but i wish that i didnt have to do pe but i just suffer through it while playing soccer but i do take it easy when i can

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3. Guest 30 April 2010 at 10:17AM

   I agree that the name is inaccurate. We should really call it OS syndrome, and it is totally related to growth spurts. However in spite of what everyone tells you, it can be treated actively if you know how. Check out the Strickland protocol on google or you-tube - average response time back to sport is 3 weeks, with no drugs - just home treatment, so you take charge. You don't need to take him out for 6 months from PE - but maybe 3 weeks.

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4. JohnnyMax 30 April 2012 at 21:37PM

   DO NOT LISTEN! SURGERY DOES WORK.

   Do more research and try to look for forums and messageboards with people ho have said they have done the surgery.

   I have seen more positive news than negative. Theres a Youtube video named "Surgical removal of patellar tendon ossicle, adult Osgood Schlatter's disease" with a guy whos done the surgery documenting his post-op recovery.

   Theres other knee forums that have osgood schlatter sections that tell successful stories about surgery.

   And remember, there are SOME guys who will tell you the surgery is not successful, do not do it. THATS NOT ALWAYS TRUE. THERES MORE POSITIVE RESULTS THAN NEGATIVE.

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5. JohnnyMax 30 April 2012 at 21:41PM

   ^^

   I have had it for 10 years. I cant take it any more. It has not gotten better. I am going to do the surgery and if its successful, I will tell it to everyone online about it.

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6. JohnnyMax 30 April 2012 at 21:42PM

   For a Youtube video documenting surgery and recovery, search this on youtube

   "Surgical removal of patellar tendon ossicle, adult Osgood Schlatter's disease"

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7. sassy28 28 November 2012 at 11:01AM

   Hi my son was diagnosed last year, He's 14 and we have found that we let him guide us on what he can cope with in P.E yesterday I wrote him a note excusing him from cross country because he was in so much pain he just couldn't have done it but he will play football if the ground isn't too hard. He did used to play squash every Saturday but has had to stop because the pain was too much. My main concern is that all our GP can advise is to shove Ibuprofen at him, My GP also used this site to tell us about it when he diagnosed him we've just been left feeling in limbo because my son is very often in tears from the pain.

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