Most Common Cause of Adolescent Knee Pain

Knee pain is a common complaint among teenagers, especially those who are very physically active. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, you won't necessarily "damage your knee by continuing to do activities. You will just hurt more."

Anatomy

• The knee is a complex joint that is highly sensitive to alignment changes, variety in training and overuse. Also, TheChildrensHospital.org points out that, "if the kneecap pulls out of its normal groove this can also cause pain behind the kneecap."

Common Causes

• There are two common causes of knee pain: Parapatellar knee pain syndrome and Osgood Schlatters Disease. The former goes undetected in an x-ray and its origin is unknown. According to KeepKidsHealthy.com, children with this disease will have a tender bump near the top of their tibia, just below the knee cap.

Risk Factors

• There are several risk factors, including muscle imbalance and poor flexibility of the thigh muscles around the knee joint, alignment issues, improper sports training techniques or using the wrong equipment and over-training.

Treatment

• Surgery is seldom necessary. Usually, the problem is solved by strengthening the quadriceps and keeping it flexible. Also keep the hamstrings in shape. Ice the knee a few times a day and change your training routine.

Prevention/Solution

• Use shoes appropriate for your activities and always stretch before physical activity.
  Cease any activity that increases pain in the knee, and mix up your training with different types of sport to avoid overuse.