Osgood Schlatters

A snowHead

4 weeks to go and my son (13) has developed Osgood Schlatters, any advice?

A snowHead

bruisedskier, Can he cook ?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

My son was advised to stop all strenuous activity when he was diagnosed with OS. Even when he was cleared to exercise again after rehab (6 months later) we went skiing and every time he turned left he fell over as his leg gave way. So, take your specialists advice, but I wouldn't count on him skiing much. On the plus side, this may be his chance to become a world-class tobogganist.

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I suffered from Osgood Schlatters and before that Sever's disease in my heels before that, skied with both and it was fine, there so little impact it was less painful than walking was. Going up stairs in ski boots was a killer though!

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I had OS when I was a teenager. Cycling was very painful, but I imagine skiing could be OK. I suppose it depends how bad they are. If they are just a bit sore it should be OK, but when mine was at its worst I couldn't even bear the weight of the bedclothes resting on my knees.

I remember being told to take it easy, but not to stop altogether. I gave up cycling to school and walked instead.

Based on my experience this looks reliable info - basically don't overdo it, ice, paracetamol and stretching quads & hamstrings

http://cks.nice.org.uk/osgood-schlatters-disease#!scenario

...and send him to see CEM apparently it is associated with flat feet, just going through the same thing with my daughter at the moment as apparently it runs in the family.

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I'd make sure you find a specialist who really knows how severe your son's OS is. If you get it wrong I'm lead to believe it can has long term negative consequences. If it's not too severe, he may be fine to ski.

After all it is free

Lots of sporty adolescents get Osgood Schlatters. I had it myself when I was a kid 40+ years ago. My son had it when he was a teenager and was playing a lot of ice hockey and skiing at the time. We managed it with lots of massage (though I believe the scientific benefits are unproven, it seemed to work for him) stretching and strengthening of the appropriate muscle groups. In the 2 or so year it took to completely heal he missed maybe 2 or 3 training sessions and half a dozen P.E. lessons at school (I'd told the school what was happening and as he was sporty and they knew he wouldn't want to miss a lesson they were happy to go with it)

The advice years ago was indeed to stop playing until it was cleared but what active teen will go with that. I think I would look for a specialist with specific sporting knowledge. I know some kids have very severe cases but from what I've read many can be managed. If you look for some of the more clued in information on the net you'll probably get further information.

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Friend of mine had OS when he was a teenager and was told he couldn't do any sport that involves straightening the legs fully - apparently it's the last 5 degrees or something of straightening the leg that does the damage. The school was lucky enough to have a very basic dry ski slope, and he managed to persuade/convince the medics that skiing was ok because you don't fully straighten your legs. So when everyone else was playing football, he was skiing, and now he has been running the slope on a commercial basis for over 30 years! He has no long term effects from that, apart from the bony lumps left on his knees. So skiing is one of the better sports to keep dong.
Like @Ade57, says, many sporty teenagers get it, especially boys, including my son, who didn't really stop doing anything, (and he did 15 hours of gymnastics a week at that point), and has no lasting effects from it either.

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We have managed to convince him to give it rest for a while, but looking back over the last couple of weeks (before we confirmed OS) it was football at school that caused the most discomfort, which had followed a full weekend of training and playing Rugby, although he stretched and warmed down after Rugby, the school didn't bother with this (or showers, but that's another story.)

Found the Strickland Protocol on the web so we are currently in the first week of that (daily massage of the quad to stretch it) and he can just about do a "normal" quad stretch with minor discomfort. Once he can do a quad stretch it is daily quad stretches. Interesting that the premise for this is that it is the constant pull from tight quads that causes the pain and prolongs the problem.

Noticeably he says the knee now only hurts when he stands up, previously it hurt constantly.

Fingers crossed with a strap (this definitely helps) and continued stretching we'll get there.

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Yep, forgot to say my son had a knee brace which definitely helped. He had a proper brace, not just tubigrip.

My 17year old sporty daughter has had in for a few years. She plays lots of sport, including tennis and lacrosse and has managed our family ski trip every year fine, with just some ibuprofen and stretching. I realise she has a fairly mild form, but even so she finds skiing less painful than some of the lacrosse training.

Hope you have a good time

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@michael stocking, What was the knee brace ?

A snowHead

ok, two weeks to go and some significant improvement in my sons knee. Now only hurts going up stairs, but this doesn't seem to stop him running up them.

Thought I'd continue with the updates, as the treatment seems to be working and may offer some help or relief to others.

The next thing is to keep him motivated to continue stretching.

A snowHead

@bruisedskier, sorry can't recall - he was given it by the physio. It looked like this: http://bit.ly/1EAlf1j

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Agree with Jonathan

Also worth finding a physio that does Kinesiology Taping.
It can help relieve the symptoms

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Thanks for all your contributions. Thought I'd try and wrap this up. Returned from a week in Montgenevre where we had a great week.

My son continued with his daily stretches, and will need to continue for the next few years while he continues to grow.

The week prior to us going he did some quad dips (not full squats) two legged, and then single leg, every day.

Whilst away we finished early the first few days. We managed to do a day away in Sansicario, and one in Sauze d'Oulx, so there was a progression through the week.

At the end of each day the knee was sore, but with stretches etc.., ok by the following morning.

In my view the massage and stretching really helped. Piste skiing was the only thing on offer, as turning through anything heavy was too much for his knee. He agreed with this, only venturing into the heavy stuff on the edge of the piste, and acknowledged that that was too much. Moguls didn't seem to be a problem.

A few falls, not the fault of the knee, and I know Pam W will agree with this, I'd set his bindings to be much lower, thought I'd rather him pop out of his bindings than twist his knee.

A week after skiing he said skiing was much easier on his knee than rugby training.

Help!!

Osgood Schlatters

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