Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Children's health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

So worried about DS’s knees ☹️

35 replies

Suuudohnym · 28/08/2025 20:45

He’s 11. He told me yesterday that his knees often hurt when he’s walked a lot or does sport. And that they feel “creaky”.

He’s not mentioned it before (not sure why) but says it’s been going on for a while. They were hurting yesterday after walking round the shops and I gave him Calpol at bedtime.

I KNOW I shouldn’t but I googled and everything is telling me Osgood Schlatters syndrome - and that if you have that, you can’t really do sports.

Like lots of boys his age, his world revolves around football - he plays for a team, plays at school at any opportunity or whenever he’s out with friends. If he had to give it up, he would be absolutely devastated.

Has anyone had a similar experience and it not been OS? I am of course going to go the GP.

OP posts:

blimeydarling · 31/08/2025 19:14

PS and a really good knee brace from a private physio

Pearl69 · 31/08/2025 19:19

My DS had Osgoods . Triggered by weekly footie games and training and athletics . Hammering round that track mile after mile. Just thought it was growing pains but a physio diagnosed it, no sports except walking and swimming. Bit of a pain when he was studying gcse sport ! School were great and supportive and with time .

He’s 23 now and plays 5 aside and runs 10 ks . Best get it diagnosed and rested, it will be ok but takes time,

Pearl69 · 31/08/2025 19:22

Jeska7 · 28/08/2025 22:09

If it is Osgood Schlatters…you need to go see a physio though as you don’t want to assume and do / change things and make it worse. So get it diagnosed properly.

My son has / had it too. He’s a bit older and plays football. I know at least three adult males who have had it too when they were tweens/teens. All played football. You need to go to the GP or better yet to a physio. My son just walked it to the physio’s room from the waiting room and she turned around to watch him walking and immediately said which knee was bothering him and what she thought it was. I couldn’t really notice but there’s a little lump below his knee. She made him do some exercises to confirm it was that. There’s nothing much they can do. It’s temporary though. She gave him some exercises to do each day and said to limit contact activities such as football and PE/games at school. He still did some football but missed a lot of it. I told Head of PE at school and they were great. He could miss activities or change activities if his knee was bothering him. It really bothered him for about six months, but it’s getting better now though. He has grown in height a bit recently. I think his height is getting more in proportion with his big feet!

Like you my DS just walked into the physios office and they just knew. I would trust a physio over a GP.

itsgettingweird · 31/08/2025 19:24

My first thought was OS before I got to the point Google had suggested it.

OS or growth we have no way of knowing and neither do you - I’d book an apt with a physio. Take it from there.

Bit you really don’t want to be mucking around with knees as better a few months rest and physios now than a lifetime of knee problems.

bloodredfeaturewall · 31/08/2025 19:56

yes, see a physio.
if he does a lot of running and both knees are hurting if could be mis-alignment due to growth. he might need to do exercises to strengthen the legs.

do his shoes fit well and are well cushioned?

Limoncello89 · 31/08/2025 20:05

My very sporty DD has just been told she likely has Osgoods. She's been in pain and limping for a while so can't do any physical activity at all. For all those whose DC have had it, how long were they off sports for? Is it the kind of thing that will go away with rest but flare up again?

Tronkmanton · 31/08/2025 20:26

Make sure he sees a paediatric physio, referred by GP, don’t just see any old physio, even if they are knee experts.

vipersnest1 · 31/08/2025 22:08

The other possibility is hyper mobility. This exacerbates ‘growing pains’ as a growth spurt takes up the existing slack in connective tissue, making it more painful for a child with hyper mobility.
It’s definitely worth getting it checked.

PoorPhaedra · 01/09/2025 12:06

My 12 year old son has Osgood. GP sent him for an X-ray to rule out anything more sinister and then said to just use over the counter ibuprofen gel when it hurts.

flyingsquirrelsagogo · 01/09/2025 12:14

My DS and quite a few of his friends have OS. All very active sporty kids. Our GP said to stop activities. A physio gave us exercises and said he could do sport, it’s his decision as to how much he could tolerate the pain. He took ibuprofen before games, and uses K Tape / knee supports that he found really helpful. He continued with his regular sports throughout and at times had to rest / sit out of the end of matches but overall it didn’t really stop him doing much.

Flip

1 2