A relatively uncommon condition, Osgood Schlatter’s disease is a knee injury that can be quite debilitating in children and adolescents with active lifestyles. It is an overuse injury generally affects the knee region of adolescents and children. Generally, those who take part in sports like gymnastics, distance running and soccer are more prone to acquire this disease.
Conventional treatments, directed at decreasing pain and swelling, utilize non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy exercises to strengthen the leg muscles that stabilize the knee. Adjunct therapy with no side effects and which works like a natural painkiller and the anti-inflammatory agent is the plant compound CBD, derived from the hemp plant with a myriad of therapeutic uses.
What Is Osgood Schlatter Disease All About
Also called Tibia Tubercle Apophysitis, Osgood Schlatter disease is the most common cause of anterior knee pain which occurs right below the knee joint. It arises from repetitive micro-injuries that causes inflammation of the patellar tendon insertion.
When a child takes part in sports, the quadriceps muscle pulls through the patellar tendon and calls for a force of traction within the tibial tubercle. Such repetitive motion of the patellar tendon in patients with an active lifestyle is the only mechanism which causes inflammation and in some cases a bony prominence.
Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is an inflammation and irritation of the growth plate above the shinbone. A growth plate is a cartilage layer at the end of a bone where there is a maximum of bone growth. It is weaker and more prone to injury compared to the rest of the bone. However, OSD does not lead to permanent problems as it goes away after a child growth period is over.
Causes of Osgood Schlatter Disease
A growth plate disorder, osteochondrosis, Osgood Schlatter occurs at the region where the kneecap connects to the shin through the patellar tendon. It can arise from various causes such as:
- Powerful repetitive quadriceps contractions which result in a traction force on the tibial tuberosity, disturbing the immature bone and the growth plate in children.
- Children are more vulnerable to Osgood-Schlatter when their bones are in the apophyseal stage which is the second stage of bone growth and the apophysis lacks the capacity to bear high tensile forces.
- Lack of quadriceps growth compared to the femur. As there is a growth spurt in a child, the lengthening of the muscle fails to pace with the rapidly lengthening femur, which causes a high tensile force on the tibial tuberosity.
Signs & Symptoms Of Osgood Schlatter
Some of the primary indicators of Osgood-Schlatter disease is knee pain and inflammation below the knee cap. The pain aggravates with activities like running, kneeling, climbing up the stairs, and jumping that subsides when you rest. Other symptoms can include:
- Local pain, inflammation, and softness over the tibial tuberosity
- Quadriceps weakness
- Enlarged apophysis in a later stage which appears like a lump
CBD: A Natural Pain Reliever And Anti Inflammatory Compound
Any rehabilitation treatment for Osgood Schlatter focuses on pain control, walk training, and muscle strengthening and increasing quadriceps strength. The phytocannabinoid CBD is a muscle relaxant, a proven anti-inflammatory, and analgesic compound that heals naturally knee pain and tight muscles which helps to mitigate the symptoms of Osgood Schlatter disease. CBD can be effective in the following ways:
Can Control Inflammation And Provide Relief
Inflammation can worsen ailments and disorders and causes the immune response to go berserk. The proinflammatory cells cytokines recruit more immune cells which in turn creates and releases more cytokines. Medications are administered to control symptoms, lower inflammation and at times even to curb the immune system from attacking the body. Unfortunately, though these medications are useful, they carry side effects that damage the body. CBD has no such adverse effects and it lowers the production of cytokines which play an integral part in pathologic pain, neuropathic pain and pain from normal muscle injuries such as cramps and spasms.
This plant compound CBD attaches to the CB2 receptors of the hyperactive immune cells and activates an anti-inflammatory protein known as caspase. When the caspase gets stimulated, it transmits a signal that initiates immune cell death. As the immune cells die through caspase stimulation, the inflammatory process gets regulated and cytokines production comes under control. This can help in relieving the inflammation of the growth plates above the shin bone in Osgood Schlatter disease.
CBD Heals Muscle Soreness And Stiffness
CBD works as a muscle relaxant and relieves muscle sprains, contractions, and strains. This non-psychoactive cannabinoid works on the various receptor sites and ion channel of the human body and impacts the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system.
A muscle contracts due to the chemical messengers generated by the CNS (Central Nervous System) arriving at a muscle and compelling it to contract. Without an adequate supply of endocannabinoids, it is not possible to slow down the abundant chemicals which cause muscles to contract consistently. CBD directly assists in reducing the flow of chemical messengers and also bolsters the supply of endocannabinoids by the body which produces a two-fold impact: muscle relaxation and decreasing stiffness and spasticity.
Conclusion
The qualities of CBD as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, muscle relaxant and aid in bone growth and cartilage repair works to provide symptomatic relief in Osgood Schlatter disease and provide flexibility to the quadriceps muscles. With no toxicity, drug tolerance, and adverse side effects, CBD has emerged as a promising therapy to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications which cause side effects.
