Sports Injuries in Young Athletes

by Carmichael Clinic

Children and teenagers are becoming increasingly involved in sport, with many training and competing several times each week. Helping them develop their strength, confidence, and overall physical health.

However, their bodies are still developing, and periods of rapid growth can change the way bones, muscles, tendons and joints respond to the demands of sport. This can make certain injuries more common, particularly during adolescence.

Understanding these injuries can help parents, coaches and young athletes recognise symptoms early and manage them appropriately.

Why are young athletes more susceptible to injury?

During childhood and adolescence, bones are still growing. Areas known as growth plates and apophyses are particularly important because they are involved in bone growth and are also attachment points for muscles and tendons. During a growth spurt, bones can grow rapidly while muscles and tendons take time to adapt. For an active young athlete, this can place additional stress on certain areas of the body.

This does not mean that children should stop playing sport during periods of growth. Instead, it is important to recognise changes in symptoms, performance and recovery and adjust training when necessary.

Common growth-related sports injuries

Osgood-Schlatter disease

Osgood-Schlatter disease is one of the most common causes of knee pain in growing athletes. It causes pain and tenderness around the bony prominence at the front of the knee, where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia. It is particularly common in sports involving repeated running, jumping and changes of direction, such as football. Osgood-Schlatter disease does not necessarily mean that a young athlete needs to stop all sport. Often, symptoms can be managed by modifying activities that aggravate the pain and gradually building strength and tolerance.

Sever’s disease

Sever’s disease is a common cause of heel pain in active children and teenagers. It affects the developing area at the back of the heel and is often aggravated by repetitive running and jumping. Young athletes may experience pain during or after sport, tenderness around the heel and sometimes stiffness through the calf or ankle. Similarly, management is usually based around controlling painful loading, maintaining appropriate activity and gradually returning to full sporting demands.

Hip and pelvic growth-related injuries

There are several growth areas around the hip and pelvis where muscles and tendons attach. These areas can become irritated through repetitive sporting activities such as sprinting, kicking and jumping. Pain may be felt around the front, side or back of the hip or pelvis and may be aggravated by running, kicking or stretching.

These symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for a muscle strain, which is why an appropriate assessment is important if symptoms persist.

Stress injuries

Young athletes can also develop bone stress injuries when the amount of loading placed through a bone exceeds its ability to recover and adapt. These injuries can occur in several areas of the body. In young athletes, stress injuries of the lower back, such as pars injuries, are particularly important to recognise. Persistent pain that becomes worse with activity should not automatically be attributed to growing pains. Early assessment can help determine whether training needs to be modified and whether further investigation is required.

Is it growing pain or an injury?

Not every ache or pain in a young athlete is a serious injury. However, persistent sporting pain should not simply be dismissed as “growing pains”.

It is worth seeking professional advice if your child has any of the below:

Pain that consistently occurs during sport
Pain that is getting progressively worse
Localised tenderness over a bone or joint
Swelling
A limp or change in their normal movement
Reduced sporting performance
Pain that continues after exercise
Recurrent symptoms
Difficulty participating in normal activities

The importance of training load

A child may participate in school sport, club training, academy sessions, matches and tournaments, sometimes all within the same week. Their body needs time to recover and adapt to these demands. A sudden increase in training volume or intensity can increase the risk of developing an overuse injury. This is particularly important during periods of rapid growth.

Useful tips:

Allow adequate recovery between demanding sessions
Avoid sudden increases in training
Monitor pain and fatigue
Include appropriate strength training
Prioritise sleep and nutrition
Communicate between parents, coaches and medical staff

How can physiotherapy help?

A physiotherapy assessment can help identify whether symptoms are related to growth, training load, an acute injury or another musculoskeletal problem. Treatment will depend on the individual athlete and may include education, training modification, strengthening, mobility exercises and a progressive return to sport programme. For young athletes, rehabilitation should be about more than simply getting rid of pain.

The goal is to help them return to their sport safely and confidently, while developing the strength and physical capacity needed to cope with the demands of their activity.

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