Osgood-Schlatter Disease

A condition known as Osgood-Schlatter disease affects the growth center at the end of the long bones; this disease is considered a form of osteochondrosis. It tends to occur in teenage boys and is a condition of adolescence, this conditions is thus mostly seen in boys between the ages of 10 - 15; the condition arises because of the rapid growth of the young body accompanied by stress in the knee joints that occurs during competitive sports. The cause of the condition is therefore physical and occurs when the patellar tendon in the knee that attaches the kneecap to the tibia becomes strained and is torn partially from the bone by action of the very strong quadriceps muscles during repeated and violent motions. The effect is the generation of extreme pain in some cases and the tearing that occurs is called an avulsion, it can become disabling and may require considerable rest to heal. Both or one of the knees may be affected at the same time. The spot where the large tendon arising from the kneecap latches on to the eminence below is often render and painful during the condition and the pain may be persistent but dull.

The condition is relieved by prolonged rest and relaxation, and most individuals affected by the symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease have a lot of tenderness and swelling in the knees, the pain below the knee or both knees may be very persistent and can rapidly be aggravated by physical activity, these include walking up and down the stairs, and all such symptoms can be relieved by relaxation and rest. A bony bump in the area below the cap of the knee is also often a physical symptom that is very commonly seen in such children; this bony bump may be very painful when it is pressed in some cases, though the pain is never persistent in general.

Supplements and herbs

For the treatment of the condition, several physicians have recommended the use of the vitamin E at dosage regimes of 400 IU of the vitamin per day along with supplements of selenium at 50 mcg thrice a day-this supplementation regime is based on the personal findings of a medical doctor. Many of the patients are reported to see results following two to six weeks of continuous treatment according to a well-known, naturopathy doctor who has anecdotally reported in such cases that he achieved the considerable success utilizing the particular dietary regimen.

The use of a combination of the minerals: zinc, manganese, with the vitamin B6 is recommended by another group of doctors for use with individuals affected by Osgood-Schlatter disease. The amounts and dosage regimen required have not been included in the report prepared by these doctors and therefore its administration must be done with caution. The nutrients at reasonable levels for adolescents would be about 15 milligrams of the zinc, 5 to 10 milligrams of the manganese, along with about 25 milligrams of the vitamin B6; this dosage regimen would be considered appropriate by most doctors. If the results are not as expected, supplements in larger quantities can be used under careful medical supervision by a competent doctor.

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