The knee’s main job is to bend, straighten and take the weight of the body along with the ankles and hips. The knee is made up of bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage. Knee pain is common in children and young people. It is usually due to growth and changes to their body as they mature.
This occurs in children and young people who are growing. It is more common in those that are active but can also occur in those who are not. Pain is usually just below the knee and it can be tender to touch and there can also be a lump. It can occur in one or both knees. It can come and go until the child / young person stops growing.
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This is pain that is felt around and under the kneecap. This may be worse after long periods of sitting, going downstairs, squatting, running and walking.
This may be due to muscle tightness and weakness due to growth. Ice (frozen peas/corn wrapped in a damp tea towel) can help. Use for 10 minutes allowing 30 minutes for the area to warm up before moving again.
This is pain felt at the bottom of the knee cap. You might also see swelling and tenderness there. It occurs during growth spurts for children and young people. It is caused by repeated stress and overuse from activities that involve lots of running and jumping. The child/young person may need to reduce activity levels as pain will limit what they can do. In other words, be active as long as it does not increase the pain or cause limping. They may need 1-2 days rest between activities.