Paediatric Physiotherapy
Growing Pains, Osgood Schlatters & Sever's Disease Physiotherapy
Leg, knee and heel pain is common in active, growing children — but it isn't something to simply push through. Physiotherapy can identify what's driving it and keep your child moving, playing and training with less discomfort.
Why It Matters
Growing pains are common — but "they'll grow out of it" isn't always the full picture
Osgood Schlatters and Sever's Disease are two of the most common causes of activity-related pain in growing children, particularly those playing sport regularly. Neither is dangerous, but both respond well to the right management — and left unmanaged, they can mean months of a child sitting out of activities they love.
What We're Assessing
Where the pain sits, what brings it on, training and growth history, and how the surrounding muscles, joints and movement patterns are loading the affected area.
Why Early Review Helps
Left unmanaged through a growth spurt or a busy sporting season, these conditions tend to flare more, take longer to settle, and force longer breaks from sport.
Training Load Matters
These conditions are closely tied to how much running, jumping and impact activity a child is doing relative to what their growing body can currently manage.
Coordinated Care
We work closely with your paediatrician or sports doctor, and coordinate with coaches where useful on managing training load during flare-ups.
Three Related Concerns
Growing pains, Osgood Schlatters and Sever's Disease, explained simply
These conditions share a common cause — growing bone outpacing the flexibility of muscles and tendons attached to it — but show up differently. A single assessment can identify which is affecting your child.
Aching, often in both legs, typically felt in the evening or at night rather than during activity itself.
Most common in children aged 3 to 12, and generally not linked to a specific injury or single point of tenderness.
A tender, sometimes visibly prominent bump just below the kneecap, where the patellar tendon attaches to the growing shin bone.
Common in active children aged roughly 9 to 15, especially those in running and jumping sports, and usually worsens with activity.
Pain at the back or underside of the heel, where the Achilles tendon attaches to the growing heel bone.
The most common cause of heel pain in active children aged roughly 8 to 14, often worse after running or in football boots and cleats.
A Useful Starting Point
Typical growing pains vs. patterns we'd like to review
This isn't a diagnosis tool — it's a guide for whether booking an assessment sooner is a good idea. When in doubt, an initial review costs you little and rules a lot out.
- General aching in both legs, mainly in the evening or at night, that settles by morning
- No swelling, no single tender spot, and no change to how your child walks or runs
- Mild discomfort after a particularly active day that eases with rest
- Your child can still fully participate in sport and play without limping or stopping
- Consistent, localised pain at the knee or heel that worsens with running, jumping or training
- Visible swelling, a tender bump below the kneecap, or pain sharp enough to cause limping
- Pain that's now limiting or stopping participation in sport your child previously enjoyed
- Discomfort that persists or worsens over several weeks rather than settling with rest
These are general guides, not fixed cut-offs. An assessment will always consider your child's full activity history, growth stage and specific pain pattern.
What Contributes
Common contributing factors
These conditions are usually multifactorial — assessment looks at the fuller picture rather than a single cause.
01
Growth Spurts
Bone often grows faster than the muscles and tendons attached to it can lengthen, creating extra tension at the points where they attach.
02
Training Load
A sudden increase in running, jumping or sport frequency — such as a new season starting, or playing for more than one team — is a common trigger.
03
Muscle Tightness
Tightness through the quadriceps, hamstrings or calves increases pull on the growth areas at the knee and heel during activity.
04
Footwear & Surfaces
Worn-out or unsupportive footwear, and consistent training on hard surfaces, can increase impact loading through developing joints.
What To Expect
Our approach to assessing and treating your child
Every plan starts with a proper look at where and why the pain is occurring before we recommend anything — no generic rest-and-see advice handed out on a first visit.
01
Assessment & History
We talk through your child's sport, training load and pain pattern, then assess the affected area, movement and surrounding muscle flexibility in detail.
02
Tailored Treatment Plan
Findings are explained in plain terms, with hands-on treatment, targeted stretching and strengthening, and clear guidance on managing training load.
03
Guided Home Programme
Simple exercises and load-management strategies your child can follow, so they can stay involved in sport while things settle rather than sitting out entirely.
Care Across Every Stage
Why timing matters at each age
Response to physiotherapy tends to correlate closely with how early treatment begins — here's a general sense of what that looks like.
Early flare-up
Most Responsive Window
Addressing pain and training load as soon as it's noticed tends to mean a shorter settling period and less time away from sport.
Ongoing discomfort
Still Highly Treatable
Even once pain has been present for some weeks, a structured plan can meaningfully reduce symptoms and get your child back to full training.
Through the growth spurt
Assessment Still Valuable
These conditions typically resolve once growth slows, but an assessment in the meantime helps your child stay active and comfortable throughout.
Who's Looking After Your Child
Led by a Paediatric Physiotherapist with Advanced Specialist Training
Every plan is guided by clinical standards adapted thoughtfully for growing, active bodies, and backed by ongoing professional development.
Session Fees
Straightforward pricing
Speak with us about insurance direct billing eligibility.
$260 / 45 mins
Assessment, treatment and home programme guidance at our Bukit Timah clinic.
$350 / 45 mins
Singapore-wide, for children more comfortable in a familiar setting.
Direct billing available with select insurance providers — see our full fees page for all services.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as normal growing pains?
Not always. General growing pains tend to be evening or night-time aching in both legs with no single tender point. Osgood Schlatters and Sever's Disease are more specific, usually one-sided, worsen with activity, and involve a clear area of tenderness — an assessment can help tell them apart.
Does my child need to stop playing sport?
Usually not entirely. Most children can keep participating with some adjustment to training load, technique or footwear while symptoms settle. Complete rest is rarely necessary and isn't always the best approach.
Do I need a doctor's referral first?
No referral is required to book an initial assessment. If your child has an existing diagnosis or is under a paediatrician's or sports doctor's care, we're glad to coordinate directly with them.
What can I do at home before our first visit?
Reducing high-impact training slightly, applying ice after activity if the area feels sore, and noting when the pain tends to occur are all genuinely useful in the meantime. We'll build on this with a tailored plan at your assessment.
How many sessions will my child typically need?
This depends on severity and training demands — some children need a short course of visits alongside load adjustments, while those in heavy training schedules are often reviewed over a longer period. We'll give you a clear expected timeline after the initial assessment.
Is this covered by insurance?
Coverage depends on your specific policy. We offer direct billing with select insurance providers — reach out and we'll help confirm your child's eligibility.
Ready to get a clear picture?
Book an initial assessment and we'll give you an honest read on what's driving your child's pain — and a plan to keep them moving.
📍 557 Bukit Timah Road, #02-03, Crown Centre, Singapore 269694 · 📞 +65 8836 8526
Meet Our Paediatric Physiotherapist
Ahmad Iqbal Bin Kamari, a paediatric physiotherapy specialist, has carefully reviewed the information on this page.
Principal Paediatric Physiotherapist
- Master of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice (Monash University, Australia)
- BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy (SIT-TCD))
- FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine
- Full registration with Allied Health Professions Council, Singapore, and Health and Care Professions Council, UK
Ahmad Iqbal Bin Kamari blends high-level clinical precision with an energetic, child-centered approach to paediatric physiotherapy. Holding a Master of Advanced Paediatric Physiotherapy Practice from Monash University, a BSc (Hons) from SIT-TCD, and a FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine, he brings specialist clinical training from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) and Evelina London Children’s Hospital. His rich expertise spans Early Intervention, Special Education (SPED), youth sports care, and his leadership as a Special Olympics Clinical Director.
At the heart of his practice—and his teaching as an SIT faculty member—is the belief that real movement progress starts with trust. Ahmad designs every session to be a safe, warmly tailored environment where children and youth feel completely comfortable to explore, play, and challenge themselves. By meeting each young person at their level, he turns therapy into an engaging experience that builds both physical strength and lasting confidence under his care.
- Early Intervention
- Special Education (SPED)
- Youth Sports & Adapted Athletic Care