Apophysitis Treatment for Young Athletes
What is Apophysitis
If your child has been complaining of persistent heel or knee pain during sport, they may be experiencing apophysitis. The frustration of watching them limp after football practice, miss games, or struggle with activities they love can be concerning for any parent. Don’t let growing pains keep your child on the sidelines, book your assessment today and get our guidance to manage their symptoms and keep them active.
Apophysitis is an overuse injury affecting the growth plates (apophysis) where tendons attach to bone in growing children and adolescents. During growth spurts, bones grow faster than muscles and tendons, creating tension at these attachment points. Repetitive stress from running, jumping, and sport can inflame these vulnerable areas, causing significant pain and limiting activity.
Common types of apophysitis include:
- Sever’s disease: affecting the heel where the Achilles tendon attaches, the most common cause of heel pain in children aged 8-14
- Osgood-Schlatter disease: occurring at the front of the knee where the patellar tendon attaches to the shin bone, particularly common in active 10-15 year olds
- Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome: inflammation at the bottom of the kneecap, similar to Osgood-Schlatter but affecting a different location
- Little League elbow: affecting young baseball and cricket players at the inner elbow growth plate
Research shows that up to 60% of young athletes experience some form of apophysitis during their growth years. The good news is that with proper management through physiotherapy, children can continue modified activity whilst the condition resolves naturally when growth plates close.
How Physiotherapy Can Transform Your Child's Recovery
Managing apophysitis requires a balanced approach that allows continued participation in sport whilst protecting healing tissues. Our treatment focuses on reducing pain, addressing biomechanical factors, and providing strategies to keep your child active safely.
Initially, we assess movement patterns, muscle flexibility, and training loads to identify contributing factors. Tight calf muscles, weak hip stabilisers, or rapid increases in training intensity often play a role in apophysitis development.
We use hands-on techniques, targeted stretching programmes, and progressive strengthening exercises. For Sever’s disease treatment, we focus on calf flexibility and load management, often recommending heel cushions or supportive footwear. Our sports injury physiotherapy approach ensures young athletes can maintain fitness while recovering.
Treatment includes:
- Pain management: ice therapy, activity modification, and supportive taping techniques
- Flexibility work: stretching tight muscles (particularly calves, quadriceps, and hamstrings) to reduce tension
- Strength building: progressive exercises for supporting muscles without aggravating symptoms
- Load management: guidance on training volumes, return to sport progressions, and cross-training options
We educate both parents and young athletes about growth-related changes and realistic timelines. Understanding muscle imbalances helps explain why some children are more susceptible to apophysitis than others.
Your child’s recovery is tailored to their sport, growth stage, and goals. Whether they’re passionate about football, gymnastics, cricket, or running, we create individualised plans allowing continued participation at appropriate levels.
How True Physio Can Help
Our team will help to manage growing pains and sports injuries for your child. Apophysitis doesn’t have to mean months on the sidelines. With proper management, most children continue modified activity throughout recovery.
Your child will benefit from:
- Reduced pain allowing return to sport sooner
- Comprehensive assessment identifying contributing biomechanical factors
- Education on managing symptoms during growth spurts
- Individualised exercise programmes safe for growing bones
- Sport-specific training modifications keeping them active
- Prevention strategies reducing risk in other vulnerable areas
Our sports physiotherapy team understands the physical and emotional challenges young athletes face when injured. We work closely with families, coaches, and schools to support continued participation.
Book your appointment today and help your young athlete stay in the game confidently.
