Adolescent Injuries
What are Adolescent Injuries and how are they different?
Adolescents can suffer from sprains, strains, and fractures in conjunction to more adolescent specific injuries.
Injuries can occur in the adolescent population for a variety of reasons including:
- The presence of growth plates (physis) on bones, these are areas of cartilage at the end of bones to allow for growth. Once mature, the growth plates form solid bones. Prior to this the growth plates can be susceptible to injury
- The presence of growth plates (physis) on bones, these are areas of cartilage at the end of bones to allow for growth. Once mature, the growth plates form solid bones. Prior to this the growth plates can be susceptible to injury
- Adolescents are generally active individuals meaning they have high exercise loads. This can be attributed to adolescents playing multiple sports, participating in school physical activity, and incidental exercise through play.
- Changing hormones and hormonal fluctuations, which can modify the properties of ligaments and joints
- Reduced coordination, strength, and/or altered biomechanical patterns are often linked with growth spurts
- Increased prevalence of joint hypermobility
Why is it important for Adolescent injuries to be addressed:
It is important to address all injuries but even more vital in the adolescent population. Injuries can lead to time away from sport or social events, increased risk of injury recurrence, altered growth, pain into adult life or may require more invasive treatment techniques.
How are they managed?
Management of adolescent injuries can vary depending on the condition. Your physiotherapist can help address pain using manual therapy (massage, joint mobilisations, dry needing etc.), bracing/splinting, activity modification, and education. They can also provide you with a home exercise program or a gym program (if suitable), to address strength, power, coordination, or other biomechanical deficits. Your physiotherapist will also work closely with you to modify or monitor your activity load if required.
Physiotherapist can collaborate with other members of your multidisciplinary team including; paediatricians, sports doctors, psychologists, podiatrists or dieticians if deemed beneficial.
Body Chart
Head:
Concussion
Shoulder:
Shoulder Dislocation
Rotator cuff pain syndromes
Little leaguer’s Syndrome
Elbow:
Little Leaguer’s Elbow
Gymnast’s Elbow
Wrist:
Kienbock’s Disease
Back:
Bone Stress
Scheruermann’s Disease
Scoliosis
Hip:
Perthe’s Disease
SCFE (Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis) / SUFE (Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis)
Hip Dysplasia
Knee:
Sinding-Larsen-Johannsen Disease
Osgood Schlatter’s Disease
Patellofemoral Pain
Shin:
Stress Fractures / Stress Reactions
Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
Ankle / Heel:
Sever’s Disease
Ankle Ligament injury
Foot:
Freiburg’s Disease
Kohler’s Disease
Stress Fractures / Stress Reactions
Other:
Traumatic Fractures
Stress Fractures
Muscle Sprains / tears
Ligament Sprains / tears
For professional and experienced physiotherapists for injury prevention and rehabilitation, contact us on (03) 9317 3992 or you may send us a contact form via this link.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are common adolescent sports injuries?
Common adolescent sports injuries include growth-related conditions such as Osgood-Schlatter disease, Sever’s disease, tendon pain, muscle strains, ankle sprains, knee pain, and overuse injuries. These injuries often occur during periods of rapid growth combined with high training loads.
Why are teenagers more prone to certain injuries?
During growth spurts, bones can grow faster than muscles and tendons adapt, which may increase stress on joints and soft tissues. Combined with training intensity and sport participation, this can lead to overload or traction-related injuries.
Can physiotherapy help with growth-related injuries?
Yes. Physiotherapy helps manage pain, modify training load, improve strength and movement control, and guide safe return to sport. Structured rehabilitation reduces the risk of long-term issues and supports healthy development.
Should my child stop sport if they have pain?
Not always. In many cases, modified training is more appropriate than complete rest. A physiotherapist can assess the injury and provide clear guidance on safe participation levels while symptoms settle.
How do you support return to sport for adolescent athletes?
We use a structured rehabilitation pathway that includes strength development, movement retraining, and sport-specific progression. The goal is to ensure young athletes return confidently, safely, and with reduced risk of re-injury.