How to Treat Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common condition usually occurs in sport oriented children from the age of 8 to 15. This disease often resolves itself on its own, but not until the child's growth spurt completes, which can take months to years.

Instructions

• 1

  See your doctor. If he diagnoses Osgood-Schlatter disease, treatment occurs mostly in the home. Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen are used in conjunction with ice and limited activity.

• 2

  Consider other measures if the pain does not subside with treatment or becomes chronic. Casting the leg is helpful when limiting activity doesn't alleviate the pain.

• 3

  Perform stretching and strengthening exercises. Strengthening the hamstring and quadriceps along with anti-inflammatory medications and activity modification can prevent the condition from flaring and speed healing. Activity modification with the addition of padding, braces and wraps made for Osgood-Schlatter disease can support the knee, decreasing healing time.

• 4

  Try all other treatments before considering surgery. Surgery is performed as a last resort, or if the doctor believes the tubercle does not attach to the tibia. There are several surgical procedures and all have excellent recovery statistics.