The Health Corner.
Program Trainer Mary Kopacki.
Program Certified/Licensed Athletic Trainer Mary Kopacki.
Mary Kopacki is our organizations licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer (LAT/ATC). She is the owner and Head Athletic Trainer for Innovative Athletic Training, LLC, a home based company that provides sport medicine services ranging from first aid, medical services, injury prevention, rehabilitation, nutrition and strength & conditioning.
She has almost 10 years of clinical and filed experience in the field of sports medicine and rehabilitation. She has also been with the organization for over 2 years and has built a strong relationship with the staff, parents and athletes
The purpose of Innovative Athletic Training, LLC is to provide superior care to injuries for the young athlete and athletic population in a fair, unbiased and ethical manner. Innovative Athletic Training, LLC is founded on care, trust and integrity. We started this company to “bring a new dimension to Athletic Training” by providing a global approach to athletic training by including medical and strength and conditioning to each athlete and group.
If you have questions on injuries your daughter sustains during the season, please contact her using the information below:
Innovative Athletic Training, LLC
Mary Kopacki, LAT, ATC, PTA
Cell: (561) 596-2870
e-mail: InnovativeAthleticTraining@yahoo.com
Mary Kopacki is our organizations licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer (LAT/ATC). She is the owner and Head Athletic Trainer for Innovative Athletic Training, LLC, a home based company that provides sport medicine services ranging from first aid, medical services, injury prevention, rehabilitation, nutrition and strength & conditioning.
She has almost 10 years of clinical and filed experience in the field of sports medicine and rehabilitation. She has also been with the organization for over 2 years and has built a strong relationship with the staff, parents and athletes
The purpose of Innovative Athletic Training, LLC is to provide superior care to injuries for the young athlete and athletic population in a fair, unbiased and ethical manner. Innovative Athletic Training, LLC is founded on care, trust and integrity. We started this company to “bring a new dimension to Athletic Training” by providing a global approach to athletic training by including medical and strength and conditioning to each athlete and group.
If you have questions on injuries your daughter sustains during the season, please contact her using the information below:
Innovative Athletic Training, LLC
Mary Kopacki, LAT, ATC, PTA
Cell: (561) 596-2870
e-mail: InnovativeAthleticTraining@yahoo.com
| innovative_athletic_file.pdf |
Sponsored by Orthopaedic Specialists of the Carolinas.
Ankle Sprains: Healing and Preventing Injury, by Dr. Jon Yoder.
What is a sprain?
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments connect one bone to another bone at a joint and help keep the bones from moving out of place.
The ankle is one of the most common sites of sprains. An ankle sprain can occur when you fall, when you suddenly twist your ankle too far, or when you force the joint out of its normal position (for example, when you land awkwardly on your foot after jumping). Most ankle sprains happen during sports activities or when walking or running on an uneven surface.
There are many ligaments in the ankle. The most common type of sprain involves the ligaments on the outside part of the ankle (lateral ankle sprain). Ligaments on the inside of the ankle may also be injured (medial ankle sprain) as well as ligaments that are high and in the middle of the ankle (high ankle sprains). The location of the injury may dictate the treatment and expected recovery.
What are the signs and symptoms of an ankle sprain?
- Pain or tenderness
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Coldness or numbness in the foot
- Inability to walk or bear weight on the joint
- Stiffness
How are ankle sprains diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will usually be able to tell if you have a sprain by asking you some questions about how the injury occurred and by examining your ankle. Your doctor may also want to take an X-ray of your ankle to make sure that it is not fractured or broken.
Sprains can be graded depending on their severity
Grade I: pain with minimal damage to ligaments, mild swelling
Grade II: more ligament damage and mild looseness of the joint, more swelling
Grade III: complete tearing of the ligament and the joint is very loose or unstable, and often the most painful and swollen
How can ankle sprains be treated?
RICE approach
Rest--You may need to rest your ankle, either completely or partly, depending on how serious your sprain is. Use crutches for as long as it hurts you to stand on your foot.
Ice--Using ice packs, ice slush baths or frozen bags of peas or corn can decrease the swelling, pain, bruising and muscle spasms. Avoid using heat.
Compression--Wrapping your ankle may be the best way to avoid swelling and bruising. You will probably need to keep your ankle wrapped for 1 or 2 days after the injury and perhaps for up to a week or more.
Elevation--Raising your ankle to or above the level of your heart will help prevent the swelling from getting worse and will help reduce bruising. Try to keep your ankle elevated for about 2 to 3 hours a day if possible.
Will I need to wear a brace?
This will depend on how serious your sprain is. You may need to wear a brace or even fracture boot or cast for a few weeks. This keeps the bones and injured ligaments from moving, which provides protection, reduces pain and speeds healing.
How long before I can use my ankle?
If your sprain is mild, your doctor may suggest that you start trying to use your ankle again fairly soon--from 1 to 3 days after your injury. Special exercises are sometimes needed to regain strength and to help reduce the chance of ongoing problems.
What about medicine for pain?
If you need medicine to ease the pain, try acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin). This will not cure the sprain but can help with the pain and swelling which will help you recover more quickly.
What is the best way to use ice?
Putting ice on your ankle can be very helpful, but you also need to be careful. The cold can damage nerves if the ice is left in place too long.
Ice can be left on your ankle for up to 30 minutes at a time. When your skin feels numb, it is time to remove the ice. Use ice every 2 to 4 hours for the first 3-4 days after your injury. Ice treatments can consist of ice packs, ice slush baths or ice massages.
To use ice packs, partly fill a plastic bag with crushed ice. Wrap a thin, wet cloth around your injury. Place the ice pack over this and then wrap an elastic bandage around the ice pack to hold it in place. Frozen peas or corn also work well. The bag is placed over the ankle in the same way as the ice packs. Put it back in the freezer after your icing session and reuse for your next session.
For ice slush baths, fill a large bucket with water and ice. Place your ankle in the bucket until the skin gets numb.
Ice massages can work well for small areas. Freeze water in a Styrofoam or paper cup. Tear the top part of the cup away from the ice. Hold the covered end and slowly rub the ice over the sprained area with a circular motion. Don't hold the ice on one spot for more than 30 seconds.
How soon can I exercise or play sports?
You will probably be able to return to basketball in 2-3 weeks, depending on how serious your injury is. It is usually ok to return to bicycling, swimming or even running right away if they do not cause pain during or after exercise. However, you will still need to avoid pivoting and twisting movements for 2 to 3 weeks. Your athletic trainer can help guide you through the process. You will be able to return to free throw shooting quickly, followed by some light drills on your own before you getting back to full activity.
How can I prevent reinjury?
Ankle sprains can be prevented by wearing a quality lace-up ankle brace. I recommend that all basketball players wear ankle braces on both of their ankles even if they have never had an ankle injury. Studies have shown that wearing ankle braces while participation in basketball can prevent some ankle sprains and if you do sprain your ankle then the brace may reduce the severity of the sprain.
Wearing high-top basketball shoes may also help prevent ankle sprains if your shoes are laced snugly and if your trainer tapes your ankle with a wide, nonelastic adhesive tape. Elastic tape or elastic braces are usually not helpful because the elastic gives too much around the joint.
Once your sprain has healed, a program of ankle exercises will also help prevent re-injury by making the muscles stronger and improving your balance.
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Ligaments connect one bone to another bone at a joint and help keep the bones from moving out of place.
The ankle is one of the most common sites of sprains. An ankle sprain can occur when you fall, when you suddenly twist your ankle too far, or when you force the joint out of its normal position (for example, when you land awkwardly on your foot after jumping). Most ankle sprains happen during sports activities or when walking or running on an uneven surface.
There are many ligaments in the ankle. The most common type of sprain involves the ligaments on the outside part of the ankle (lateral ankle sprain). Ligaments on the inside of the ankle may also be injured (medial ankle sprain) as well as ligaments that are high and in the middle of the ankle (high ankle sprains). The location of the injury may dictate the treatment and expected recovery.
What are the signs and symptoms of an ankle sprain?
- Pain or tenderness
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Coldness or numbness in the foot
- Inability to walk or bear weight on the joint
- Stiffness
How are ankle sprains diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will usually be able to tell if you have a sprain by asking you some questions about how the injury occurred and by examining your ankle. Your doctor may also want to take an X-ray of your ankle to make sure that it is not fractured or broken.
Sprains can be graded depending on their severity
Grade I: pain with minimal damage to ligaments, mild swelling
Grade II: more ligament damage and mild looseness of the joint, more swelling
Grade III: complete tearing of the ligament and the joint is very loose or unstable, and often the most painful and swollen
How can ankle sprains be treated?
RICE approach
Rest--You may need to rest your ankle, either completely or partly, depending on how serious your sprain is. Use crutches for as long as it hurts you to stand on your foot.
Ice--Using ice packs, ice slush baths or frozen bags of peas or corn can decrease the swelling, pain, bruising and muscle spasms. Avoid using heat.
Compression--Wrapping your ankle may be the best way to avoid swelling and bruising. You will probably need to keep your ankle wrapped for 1 or 2 days after the injury and perhaps for up to a week or more.
Elevation--Raising your ankle to or above the level of your heart will help prevent the swelling from getting worse and will help reduce bruising. Try to keep your ankle elevated for about 2 to 3 hours a day if possible.
Will I need to wear a brace?
This will depend on how serious your sprain is. You may need to wear a brace or even fracture boot or cast for a few weeks. This keeps the bones and injured ligaments from moving, which provides protection, reduces pain and speeds healing.
How long before I can use my ankle?
If your sprain is mild, your doctor may suggest that you start trying to use your ankle again fairly soon--from 1 to 3 days after your injury. Special exercises are sometimes needed to regain strength and to help reduce the chance of ongoing problems.
What about medicine for pain?
If you need medicine to ease the pain, try acetaminophen (brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (brand names: Advil, Motrin). This will not cure the sprain but can help with the pain and swelling which will help you recover more quickly.
What is the best way to use ice?
Putting ice on your ankle can be very helpful, but you also need to be careful. The cold can damage nerves if the ice is left in place too long.
Ice can be left on your ankle for up to 30 minutes at a time. When your skin feels numb, it is time to remove the ice. Use ice every 2 to 4 hours for the first 3-4 days after your injury. Ice treatments can consist of ice packs, ice slush baths or ice massages.
To use ice packs, partly fill a plastic bag with crushed ice. Wrap a thin, wet cloth around your injury. Place the ice pack over this and then wrap an elastic bandage around the ice pack to hold it in place. Frozen peas or corn also work well. The bag is placed over the ankle in the same way as the ice packs. Put it back in the freezer after your icing session and reuse for your next session.
For ice slush baths, fill a large bucket with water and ice. Place your ankle in the bucket until the skin gets numb.
Ice massages can work well for small areas. Freeze water in a Styrofoam or paper cup. Tear the top part of the cup away from the ice. Hold the covered end and slowly rub the ice over the sprained area with a circular motion. Don't hold the ice on one spot for more than 30 seconds.
How soon can I exercise or play sports?
You will probably be able to return to basketball in 2-3 weeks, depending on how serious your injury is. It is usually ok to return to bicycling, swimming or even running right away if they do not cause pain during or after exercise. However, you will still need to avoid pivoting and twisting movements for 2 to 3 weeks. Your athletic trainer can help guide you through the process. You will be able to return to free throw shooting quickly, followed by some light drills on your own before you getting back to full activity.
How can I prevent reinjury?
Ankle sprains can be prevented by wearing a quality lace-up ankle brace. I recommend that all basketball players wear ankle braces on both of their ankles even if they have never had an ankle injury. Studies have shown that wearing ankle braces while participation in basketball can prevent some ankle sprains and if you do sprain your ankle then the brace may reduce the severity of the sprain.
Wearing high-top basketball shoes may also help prevent ankle sprains if your shoes are laced snugly and if your trainer tapes your ankle with a wide, nonelastic adhesive tape. Elastic tape or elastic braces are usually not helpful because the elastic gives too much around the joint.
Once your sprain has healed, a program of ankle exercises will also help prevent re-injury by making the muscles stronger and improving your balance.
ACL Injuries and Prevention , by Dr. Jon Yoder.
ACL Prevention
What is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)?
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the main ligament in the center of the knee. It runs from the back of the femur (thigh bone) to the front of the tibia (shin bone). It assists in proper movement of the knee joint and prevents the tibia from shifting out from underneath the femur. Abnormal slippage can create an unstable knee that “gives way” during activity, especially cutting and pivoting sports.
How is the ACL injured?
The ACL is most commonly injured during a pivoting or twisting injury to the knee when the foot is planted on the ground. It is most commonly injured during non-contact activities. It can also be injured during a direct blow to the knee or with hyperflexion or hyperextension of the knee. It is more common to tear the ACL during games than in practices.
How is an ACL tear treated?
Surgery is almost always recommended in order to return to a high level of activity and to prevent further injury to the knee. The torn ACL is replaced by a new ligament or tendon from the athlete’s body or from a cadaver. After surgery, extensive physical therapy is necessary to return to sports. ACL injuries, even with reconstruction, have been linked to chronic pain and osteoarthritis in up to 90% of patients 10-20 years after the injury.
How common are ACL injuries?
More than 250,000 ACL injuries occur each year in the United States, with ACL reconstruction becoming one of the most common surgeries performed by orthopedic surgeons. As many as 1 in 20 college level and 1 in 50-100 high school level female athletes sustain an ACL injury during a given year. This is why ACL injury prevention is an important issue, especially for female athletes.
Are there risk factors associated with ACL injuries?
There are a number of factors that have been investigated as possible risk factors for ACL injuries. These factors include anatomic factors, such as the size of the ACL or the size of the notch (space inside the knee for the ACL); hormonal factors, such as estrogen levels, and biomechanical factors, such as muscle strength, endurance, and control.
Are women at higher risk for ACL tears?
Yes. Several studies have shown that female athletes are at 2 to 10 times higher risk for ACL tears than males. This is why ACL prevention programs are commonly focused on female athletes.
There are likely a variety of factors that contribute to the higher risk of ACL tears in women, but the most likely reason is biomechanical differences between men and women, which includes muscle strength, endurance and jumping and landing patterns.
What are the factors that contribute to ACL tears when jumping and landing?
Several studies that have evaluated men and women during jumping and pivoting activities have shown that women appear to land with less knee and hip flexion, increased knee valgus (knock-kneed), increased internal rotation of the hip, increased external rotation of the tibia, less knee joint stiffness, and high quadriceps activity relative to hamstring activity (“quadriceps dominant contraction”). Fatigue can lead to poor knee and hip positioning while jumping and landing. ACL injury prevention programs are designed to address these factors.
Can I lower my risk of ACL injury?
Yes. ACL injury prevention programs are designed to lower your risk of ACL injury. There are several different ACL injury prevention programs that have been shown to be effective at reducing the risk of ACL tears by 24-82%. Of all the possible risk factors for ACL tears, neuromuscular training is the most easily modified.
What factors are worked on during ACL injury prevention programs?
Programs are designed to improve the dynamic muscle function around the knee to decrease the strain on the ACL during activities. The programs are designed primarily to increase hamstring strength, increase endurance of the muscles crossing the knee, and increase knee stiffness during landing and pivoting.
Easy things you can work on at home:
1. Proper landing technique: Landing softly on the forefoot and rolling back to the rearfoot, emphasizing knee and hip flexion on landing and with cutting movements. Two-feet landing is encouraged when possible.
2. Proper deceleration and cutting: Rounded cut movements instead of sharp angles. One step stop deceleration pattern should be avoided and replaced with a three-step quick stop.
3. Avoiding excessive “caving in” at the knee: Keeping the knee and foot in a straight line when landing and squatting rather than angled.
How do the ACL Injury prevention programs work?
Most programs require about 15 minutes of training each day. These programs typically replace the traditional warm-up for sports activities. Some programs have more intensive sessions designed for the off-season. Nearly all successful programs have the same elements: traditional stretching and strengthening activities, aerobic conditioning, agility training, plyometrics (repetitive rapid loading and contraction of a targeted muscle group), balance and risk awareness training. All of the activities can be performed on a basketball court and do not require any specialized equipment.
Can I perform an ACL injury prevention program if I’ve had my ACL reconstructed?
ACL injury prevention programs are an important part of training the knee following ACL reconstruction, and can help protect the other knee from injury. These programs can help protect the new ligament from re-injury as well.
What is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)?
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the main ligament in the center of the knee. It runs from the back of the femur (thigh bone) to the front of the tibia (shin bone). It assists in proper movement of the knee joint and prevents the tibia from shifting out from underneath the femur. Abnormal slippage can create an unstable knee that “gives way” during activity, especially cutting and pivoting sports.
How is the ACL injured?
The ACL is most commonly injured during a pivoting or twisting injury to the knee when the foot is planted on the ground. It is most commonly injured during non-contact activities. It can also be injured during a direct blow to the knee or with hyperflexion or hyperextension of the knee. It is more common to tear the ACL during games than in practices.
How is an ACL tear treated?
Surgery is almost always recommended in order to return to a high level of activity and to prevent further injury to the knee. The torn ACL is replaced by a new ligament or tendon from the athlete’s body or from a cadaver. After surgery, extensive physical therapy is necessary to return to sports. ACL injuries, even with reconstruction, have been linked to chronic pain and osteoarthritis in up to 90% of patients 10-20 years after the injury.
How common are ACL injuries?
More than 250,000 ACL injuries occur each year in the United States, with ACL reconstruction becoming one of the most common surgeries performed by orthopedic surgeons. As many as 1 in 20 college level and 1 in 50-100 high school level female athletes sustain an ACL injury during a given year. This is why ACL injury prevention is an important issue, especially for female athletes.
Are there risk factors associated with ACL injuries?
There are a number of factors that have been investigated as possible risk factors for ACL injuries. These factors include anatomic factors, such as the size of the ACL or the size of the notch (space inside the knee for the ACL); hormonal factors, such as estrogen levels, and biomechanical factors, such as muscle strength, endurance, and control.
Are women at higher risk for ACL tears?
Yes. Several studies have shown that female athletes are at 2 to 10 times higher risk for ACL tears than males. This is why ACL prevention programs are commonly focused on female athletes.
There are likely a variety of factors that contribute to the higher risk of ACL tears in women, but the most likely reason is biomechanical differences between men and women, which includes muscle strength, endurance and jumping and landing patterns.
What are the factors that contribute to ACL tears when jumping and landing?
Several studies that have evaluated men and women during jumping and pivoting activities have shown that women appear to land with less knee and hip flexion, increased knee valgus (knock-kneed), increased internal rotation of the hip, increased external rotation of the tibia, less knee joint stiffness, and high quadriceps activity relative to hamstring activity (“quadriceps dominant contraction”). Fatigue can lead to poor knee and hip positioning while jumping and landing. ACL injury prevention programs are designed to address these factors.
Can I lower my risk of ACL injury?
Yes. ACL injury prevention programs are designed to lower your risk of ACL injury. There are several different ACL injury prevention programs that have been shown to be effective at reducing the risk of ACL tears by 24-82%. Of all the possible risk factors for ACL tears, neuromuscular training is the most easily modified.
What factors are worked on during ACL injury prevention programs?
Programs are designed to improve the dynamic muscle function around the knee to decrease the strain on the ACL during activities. The programs are designed primarily to increase hamstring strength, increase endurance of the muscles crossing the knee, and increase knee stiffness during landing and pivoting.
Easy things you can work on at home:
1. Proper landing technique: Landing softly on the forefoot and rolling back to the rearfoot, emphasizing knee and hip flexion on landing and with cutting movements. Two-feet landing is encouraged when possible.
2. Proper deceleration and cutting: Rounded cut movements instead of sharp angles. One step stop deceleration pattern should be avoided and replaced with a three-step quick stop.
3. Avoiding excessive “caving in” at the knee: Keeping the knee and foot in a straight line when landing and squatting rather than angled.
How do the ACL Injury prevention programs work?
Most programs require about 15 minutes of training each day. These programs typically replace the traditional warm-up for sports activities. Some programs have more intensive sessions designed for the off-season. Nearly all successful programs have the same elements: traditional stretching and strengthening activities, aerobic conditioning, agility training, plyometrics (repetitive rapid loading and contraction of a targeted muscle group), balance and risk awareness training. All of the activities can be performed on a basketball court and do not require any specialized equipment.
Can I perform an ACL injury prevention program if I’ve had my ACL reconstructed?
ACL injury prevention programs are an important part of training the knee following ACL reconstruction, and can help protect the other knee from injury. These programs can help protect the new ligament from re-injury as well.
ACL Article From Greensboro News & Record On Stealers' Alum Megan Buckland.
Megan Buckland.
Click HERE to read an article by Susan Ladd of the Greensboro News & Record on females dealing with ACL Injuries.
In this article, Mrs. Ladd features former Stealer Megan Buckland, who plays at the University of North Carolina.
In this article, Mrs. Ladd features former Stealer Megan Buckland, who plays at the University of North Carolina.
Osgood-Schlatter's - by Dr. Jon Yoder
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
What is Osgood-Schlatter disease?
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful enlargement of the bump of the shin bone (tibia) just below the knee. This bump is called the tibial tuberosity. The tendon that attaches the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone attaches at the tibial tuberosity. Osgood-Schlatter disease is most often seen in children between the ages of 10 and 15 and usually appears during a period of rapid growth.
How does it occur?
The main cause of Osgood-Schlatter lesions is too much tension in the patellar tendon. The tension can come from overuse from sports activity and from growth spurts. Usually both happen together. Both put extra stress on the tibial tuberosity.
During growth spurts, the tendon may not be able to keep up with the growth of the lower leg. The tendon becomes too short. It constantly pulls at the tibial tuberosity. Tension from sports activity comes from overuse. When the quadriceps muscle on the front of the thigh works, it pulls on the patellar tendon. The tendon in turn pulls on the tibial tuberosity. If the tension is too great and occurs too often while the bone is developing, it can pull the growth area of the tibial tuberosity away from the growth area of the shinbone.
The bump forms because the separated growth plates keep growing and expanding. The area between the bone fragments fills in with new tissue, either cartilage or bone. The new tissue causes the tibial tuberosity to become enlarged and painful.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptom is a painful bump below the kneecap at the top of the shin bone. The pain will sometimes come and go and usually is gone by the time you have stopped growing. Sometimes the pain still lasts into adulthood. The bump may remain painful and some activities, such as kneeling, may be difficult.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor will examine the knee and review your symptoms. You may need an X-ray. X-rays show an enlarged tibial tuberosity and possibly irregular or loose bony fragments from the tibial tuberosity.
How is it treated?
The passing of time may be all that is needed. It takes one to two years for the bone growth plates of the tibial tuberosity to grow together and form one solid bone. When this occurs, symptoms usually go away completely.
In some cases, the patient may need to stop sport activities for a short period. This gets the pain and inflammation under control. Usually patients don't need to avoid sports for a long time. It is unlikely that the bone will completely separate, so not all athletes need to completely avoid sports.
The doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine to help reduce swelling. Physical therapists might use ice, heat, or ultrasound to control inflammation and pain. A variety of pads, straps, and sleeves are available that can help keep pain to a minimum. For example, wearing a knee pad cushions the sore area while kneeling. A special knee strap (Chopat strap) may help by changing the way the force is transferred through the patellar tendon. Anti-inflammatory medicine and exercises might also be beneficial.
As symptoms ease, the physical therapist works on flexibility, strength, and muscle balance in the knee. Posture exercises can help improve knee alignment.
Cortisone injections are commonly used to control pain and inflammation in other types of injuries. However, a cortisone injection is usually not appropriate for Osgood-Schlatter lesions. Cortisone injections have not shown consistently good results for this condition. There is also a high risk that the cortisone will cause the patellar tendon to rupture.
Severe pain and problems may require a knee brace or cast for up to six weeks. The goal is to stop the knee from moving so that inflammation and pain go away.
With nonsurgical rehabilitation, the goal is to reduce pain and inflammation. These measures can help. However, most Osgood-Schlatter lesions still get better over time, as the bones mature.
Some doctors have their patients work with a physical therapist. Therapists work on the possible causes of the problem. For example, flexibility exercises for the hamstring and quadriceps muscles can help reduce tension in the patellar tendon where it attaches to the tibial tuberosity. Strengthening exercises to improve muscle balance can help the kneecap move correctly during activity. Therapists work with athletes to improve form and to reduce knee strain during sports.
How long will the effects last?
As you gets older and past the growth spurt, symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease go away and there is usually no longer a problem. It commonly takes about 6 to 24 months from the start of the symptoms. The best way to avoid the pain of Osgood-Schlatter disease is to use exercise to build muscle strength and avoid overtraining.
Your will always have a bump even after the pain has gone away. It is possible for you to sometimes have pain in the area of the bump even as an adult. Adults with persistent pain from bony fragments around the knee need to have the fragments surgically removed.
When can I return to my normal activities?
Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activity will be determined by how soon your knee recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since the injury has occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms, the longer it will take to get better. The goal of rehabilitation is to normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you might worsen the injury.
You may safely return to sports or activities when, starting from the top of the list and progressing to the end, each of the following is true:
1. Your tibial tuberosity is no longer tender.
2. The injured knee can be fully straightened and bent without pain.
3. The knee and leg have regained normal strength compared to the uninjured knee and leg.
4. You are able to jog straight ahead without limping.
How can Osgood-Schlatter disease be prevented?
Osgood-Schlatter disease may be difficult to prevent. The most important thing to do is to limit activity as soon as you notice the painful bump on the top of the shin bone. Proper warm-up and stretching exercises of the thigh, hamstring, and calf muscles may help prevent Osgood-Schlatter disease.
