How does a Growth Spurt increase risk of injuries?

What is the adolescent growth spurt?

Growth in children and adolescents does not follow a perfectly straight line, with periods of slow and rapid growth. The adolescent growth spurt is the period of most rapid growth outside of infancy. 

During this phase, height increases at an average rate of 8.3cm per year in girls, and 9.5cm per year in boys; that’s a lot of change for the body to adapt to! 

Girls typically go through this earlier than boys, with girls tending to start their adolescent growth spurt around the age of 10, whereas boys won’t typically enter their growth spurt until after the age of 12.

How does growth increase risk of injury?

During the growth spurt, the growth plates are particularly sensitive to the forces applied on them by the tendons that attach to them. This is because the new bone is not initially as strong as the muscles and tendons, which can create a traction force on the growth plate. 

During sport, a lot of force is placed on these growth plates, increasing the risk of pain and injury. 

As a result, the incidence of growth related injuries rapidly increases during the adolescent growth spurt, particularly in children and teenagers who are quite active or have recently increased their level of activity suddenly.

How can PEAK help? 

The growth spurt is a natural process that cannot be stopped, however there are a number of ways that our coaches here at PEAK can help manage growth related injuries.

Firstly, measurements and calculations can be made to track and monitor growth to identify periods of increased injury risk. This can then be used to adjust loading as necessary to help prevent and manage injury. 

Additionally, tailored treatments and exercise programs can help both decrease pain and discomfort as well as proactively reduce the risk of future injuries, particularly when coming into high risk periods. If your child would benefit from assessment and treatment for growth related pain and injury, our coaches are happy and ready to assist, with appointments available via online booking or give us a call on 3399 3318.