How long does Osgood Schlatter Disease last?

Typically we hear from parents of young teenagers who’s doctor has diagnosed Osgood Schlatters and recommended they stop playing sport for 12-18 months. For a sport obsessed young athlete this is a drastic and devastating diagnosis.

Doctors recommend a course of rest because Osgood Schlatters is considered a “growing” condition. Rest is obviously the simplest way to avoid irritating the knees whilst the growth plates are shifting around!

During rapid growth, teenagers’ bones are lengthening faster than their tendons or muscles. This growth spurt of 12-24 months usually coincides with peak pain levels. So from a medical perspective, Osgood Schlatters technically lasts for as long as an athlete’s tendons take to catch up with their longer bones.

Why rest is not a treatment for Osgood

Merely prescribing rest adds a significant mental health burden on young athletes who just want to play their sport. No parent wants to be enforcing this miserable layoff.

Parents usually only enforce this prescription because they want what is best for their child, and they have confidence that this will resolve things.

Unfortunately that is not always the case. In reality, without intervention, the underlying tendon issues and knee pain can persist and result in secondary complications well after the growth spurt is over.

The importance of relative rest

The typical “treatment” of rest has some basis in logic, but instead of complete rest, we successfully treat the root cause of Osgood with relative rest alongside other interventions.

Of course it is not appropriate to aggressively push through pain as this can make the condition worse. But simply resting in the hope of waiting out a growth spurt ignores the fact that Osgood Schlatters is also very much a tendon injury.

Modern sports science has many innovative and non-invasive methods of treating tendon injuries that are also highly effective in accelerating recovery from Osgood Scahlatter Disease.

What happens if Osgood is untreated

Aside from the mental and physical downsides of young athletes being prevented from playing sport for 12-24 months, there is also a serious risk that if left untreated the Osgood Schlatter symptoms simply become more permanent.

A treatment that is essentially “just do nothing” can lead to unresolved tendon problems which re-emerge as an adult. Adults who had Osgood Schlatters as children and stopped playing sport frequently contact us when their symptoms re-emerge while travelling or trying to play sport again! Many of these adults also have a permanent lump under their knee from having not addressed the injury early enough.

Treating Osgood like an injury, not a disease

We consider Osgood to be an injury. By re-framing our thinking about Osgood this way we unlock the capacity to follow logical rehabilitation steps.

It is also helpful for young athletes to hear they have an injury which can often be resolved, rather than a disease. Teenagers who play sport are often familiar with other injuries like rolled ankles, so they undertand that these require active intervention.

While growth spurts are a key underlying factor that make Osgood Schlatters possible, they do not determine whether it can be resolved!

Like many tendon conditions and injuries, Osgood Schlatter responds very well to a strategic approach to load management, combined with targeted strengthening exercises, mobility and flexibility work, as well as sound movement pattern development.

Sadly many parents find us after already withdrawing their child from sport for months or even years. They are shocked to discover our advice is generally to continue with their sport for the entire seven-week Osgood treatment. (If this is you, don’t fear: it is not too late to get started treating the underlying issues!)

It is extremely common that young athletes who have been told they must quit sport for years begin our program and reduce their pain dramatically within weeks. Addressing the root cause of their pain actually helps improve their athleticism and sets them up for years of sport ahead.

Please do explore our at-home treatment plan in case it can help in your situation! Note it is always important to ensure you have a confirmed case of Osgood Schlatter before commencing.