With us now working out of Westbourne Grammar School, we’re excited to be supporting a school community with a strong focus on sport, movement and student wellbeing.

Young athletes can place significant demands on their bodies. Training, competitions, strength sessions and extracurricular sport can mean that some students are exercising almost every day of the week.

For growing athletes, understanding the difference between normal aches and pains, growing-related discomfort and an actual injury is important. While some soreness is a normal part of being active, persistent or worsening pain shouldn’t simply be dismissed as “growing pains.”

What Are Growing Pains?

Growing pains are a common complaint in children and adolescents, particularly during periods of rapid growth.

They are typically described as an aching or throbbing sensation, often felt in both legs, particularly around the thighs, calves or behind the knees. They commonly occur later in the day or at night and are generally not associated with swelling, redness or a noticeable loss of function.

Importantly, growing pains don’t usually prevent a child from participating in their normal activities.

This is different from pain that consistently occurs during sport, becomes progressively worse with activity or is associated with other symptoms.

When Could Pain Be a Sports Injury?

Young athletes can experience many of the same sporting injuries as adults, but their developing bodies have some additional considerations.

Pain is more concerning when it:

• Occurs consistently during or after sport
• Is located in one specific area
• Gets progressively worse
• Causes a change in running, jumping or movement
• Causes a child to stop participating in sport
• Is associated with swelling or bruising
• Continues despite rest
• Causes pain at night or at rest

These signs don’t necessarily mean there is a serious injury, but they are reasons to have the problem properly assessed rather than simply assuming it is growing pain.

Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes

One of the biggest challenges for young athletes is managing training load.

Unlike an acute injury, such as rolling an ankle or falling, overuse injuries can develop gradually when the body is repeatedly exposed to more stress than it can adequately recover from.

This can occur when an athlete:

• Suddenly increases their training volume
• Plays multiple sports without adequate recovery
• Trains or competes on consecutive days
• Returns to sport too quickly after an injury
• Has inadequate strength or conditioning
• Doesn’t get enough sleep or recovery time

The body needs time to adapt to physical stress. When training consistently exceeds the body’s ability to recover, pain and injury can develop.

Stress Fractures: When Pain Shouldn’t Be Ignored

Stress fractures are an important injury to be aware of in young athletes.

They are small cracks or areas of damage within a bone that can develop from repetitive loading. They are more likely to occur when there is a sudden increase in training or repetitive high-impact activity.

A stress fracture may initially feel like a small, localised ache that appears during activity and improves with rest. As the injury progresses, the pain can become more noticeable and may eventually occur with normal daily activities or at rest.

Common signs can include:

• Pain in one specific area
• Pain that increases with running or jumping
• Localised tenderness
• Pain that progressively worsens
• Reduced ability to participate in sport

A suspected stress fracture should be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional. Continuing to train through increasing bone pain can make the injury worse.

Common Overuse Problems in Growing Athletes

Different sports place different demands on the body.

Running and jumping sports can place significant repetitive loads through the feet, ankles, knees and hips. Sports involving throwing can place repeated stress through the shoulder and elbow, while sports involving frequent kicking and changes of direction can place greater demands on the hips, groin and legs.

During periods of rapid growth, changes in bone length, muscle strength and coordination can also temporarily alter how an athlete moves.

This doesn’t mean that growing automatically causes injuries. Rather, it highlights the importance of allowing the body time to adapt to changing physical demands.

What About Pain After Training?

Not every ache means an athlete needs to stop exercising completely.

Some muscle soreness after an unfamiliar or particularly demanding session is normal. This is often referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and typically develops several hours after exercise before gradually improving over the following days.

The important question is whether the pain behaves like normal post-exercise soreness or whether it is becoming persistent, localised or progressively worse.

A useful rule for young athletes is:

Don’t ignore pain that keeps coming back.

If the same pain repeatedly appears during training, it is worth investigating what may be contributing to it.

How Can Young Athletes Reduce Their Injury Risk?

Injury prevention isn’t about avoiding sport. In fact, staying active is an important part of healthy development.

Instead, young athletes should focus on building their capacity to handle the demands of their sport.

Strength

Appropriate strength training can help young athletes develop stronger muscles, tendons and bones while improving their ability to handle sporting demands.

Gradual Training Progression

Training loads should increase progressively rather than suddenly. Large increases in running, jumping, lifting or competition volume can place unnecessary stress on the body.

Recovery

Sleep, nutrition, hydration and rest days all play an important role in how the body adapts to training.

Movement Quality

Developing good movement skills, balance, coordination and control can help young athletes perform efficiently as their bodies grow and change.

Managing Multiple Sports

Playing multiple sports can provide many physical benefits, but training schedules still need to be considered. A young athlete may be participating in several teams without realising just how much total physical load they are accumulating.

When Should You Get Your Child’s Pain Assessed?

If you’re unsure whether your child’s pain is simply part of growing or something that requires further investigation, an assessment can help determine what may be contributing to their symptoms.

Particular attention should be given to pain that is:

• Persistent or worsening
• Localised to one area
• Affecting sporting performance
• Causing a limp or change in movement
• Associated with swelling
• Present at rest or during the night
• Preventing participation in normal activities

Early assessment can help identify potential issues and provide appropriate advice about activity, rehabilitation and returning to sport.

Supporting Young Athletes at Westbourne Grammar School

With us now working out of Westbourne Grammar School, we’re excited to be part of a community where sport, movement and performance are such an important part of student life.

Our role is to help young athletes understand their bodies, identify movement or physical limitations and provide appropriate advice when pain or injuries arise.

Chiropractic care may form one part of a broader approach to supporting young athletes, alongside strength and conditioning, physiotherapy, medical care, appropriate coaching and good recovery habits.

The goal isn’t simply to keep young athletes playing through pain.

It’s to help them understand their bodies, build physical capacity and develop healthy habits that can support them both on and off the sporting field.

Growing Bodies Need the Right Support

Growing up and participating in sport are both important parts of childhood and adolescence. Some aches and pains are completely normal, but persistent or activity-related pain shouldn’t automatically be labelled as growing pains.

For young athletes, recognising the difference between normal soreness and a potential injury can be the first step towards getting the right support.

Train smart. Recover well. Listen to your body.

If your child is experiencing persistent pain or you have concerns about an injury, an appropriate assessment can help determine the next steps.