Osgood support docs

Navigating the support documents

This page contains all of the more specific questions and answers we get about how to successfully complete the program.

Use the table of contents to navigate to the topics you wish to explore further, if you cannot find an answer to the question you have, you will also find a form below to get in touch with our team directly.

Please note, we may take 24-36 hours to get back to you.

We are a small team of coaches who also run a high performance gym for youth athletes in Melbourne, Australia (it was out of this gym that we invented our Osgood protocol). We strongly suggest working your way through the support documents before getting in touch.

Technical support

I can’t find the next week of the program?

After you purchase the program you will be automatically logged in and redirected to a page called the Program Hub, from here you can navigate the entire program.

If you leave the website or try to access it on another device you are likely to be required to log in again. You can do this by pressing the login button in the menu and entering your details as when you purchased the program.

If you forgot your password, there is also an option to reset this on the login form (give the reset email a few minutes to come through)

Update my account details

You can easily update your profile and information on the Dashboard page, simply scroll to the bottom of this page to find your account details.

You must be logged in to access the dashboard page.

Facebook support group

Our program comes with a private online community to help you tackle any problems during the program, get support from other parents struggling with Osgood and plenty more.

You will find an invite link to join the community in your welcome email and on the program Getting Started page.

Where do I find the workbook?

This program is delivered entirely through our website OsgoodSchlatters.net, however we also provide a print-friendly training workbook to monitor your pain levels and track your completion rate with the exercises.

Links to download the workbook can be found on the Getting Started page of the program.

General questions

Does this work for all ages?

Yes.

Ages 9-16 is the peak range for Osgood so we have built the program specifically to suit children and teenagers at all stages of their development.

Our online training program was written with children/teens in mind, but it is also highly effective for adults still struggling with Osgood.

To clarify, Osgood is highly unlikely to start during adulthood, but if you had Osgood as a child/teen it can persist - our program is incredibly effective in these cases.

For adults (20 and older) before starting the program we recommend you get a medical opinion to confirm it is in fact Osgood Schlatters that is causing your knee pain as this program is less effective for other injuries or diagnoses.

I’ve had my Osgood for years, will this still work?

Absolutely.

The sooner you start this program after being diagnosed the quicker your knees will respond. In longer-term cases of Osgood (1+ year of continual symptoms), it can take a little longer to fully cure Osgood Schlatters but this program will still work, however a little more patience and a slower progression rate through the stages may be required.

The same is true for adult Osgood Schlatters, our program will help, but you will need to be patient.

What if this doesn’t work for me?

We have never seen this program fail when done in its entirety with 100% adherence.

If you have Osgood, you do the work and follow the plan, this program will provide relief for your knee pain.

Some knees are slower to respond and may have to repeat certain stages before progressing (adult Osgood in particular can be slow). You maintain lifetime access to the program so there is no need to rush through the seven-week plan.

We are so confident you will see a positive result that we offer a 100% money back guarantee, that if by the end of the seven weeks you do not see any improvement in your knee pain we will happily refund the cost of the program.

What do I do if my clinician doesn’t think I should do this program?

You should listen to a trusted clinician.

If having assessed you in person and investigated and they read this program they still don’t think it is for you it may be best to listen to their advice.

If they seem stubbornly insistent that it is indeed Osgood and you have no option but to rest and wait, then getting a second opinion may be a good option in this circumstance.

We generally find that physiotherapists (physical therapists) and osteopaths are better at diagnosing and handling Osgood than general practitioners (GPs).

What do I do if my condition is not Osgood Schlatters?

Working online, we are not in a position to diagnose your condition.

We recommend you seek a medical opinion (physiotherapist, physical therapist, sports doctor, or Osteopath) as to the cause of your pain and confirm that it is indeed Osgood Schlatter Disease.

Other knee conditions may respond negatively to this program so a correct diagnosis is crucial. If you have been diagnosed with Osgood and you are not making any progress with the program, we suggest you do the following:

Browse this support document for any potential topics that might apply to you. A small tweak to one element of the program is often all it takes to start making faster progress.
Get in touch via the Facebook support channel. Our coaches can help you troubleshoot any specific issues from there.
Get a second opinion. It is not uncommon to have Osgood Schlatters AND something else (the something else is often missed due to the Osgood being the dominant issue)

We offer a refund guarantee if you do not see results with our program or you find that it is indeed not Osgood Schlatters.

Understanding and managing pain

I still have bad knee pain, should I start this program?

Yes.

The program is designed to help young, rapidly growing athletes cure their Osgood Schlatters by mobilise and strengthen their way out of that pain so they can get back to playing the sport they love.

Please note however: This program is designed specifically for Osgood Schlatter Disease. You should not begin this program without a medical diagnosis of Osgood Schlatters. While this program is 100% effective at curing Osgood, it may not be as effective for other knee conditions.

I have suffered a setback in my pain levels, what do I do now?‍

The most common cause for a spike in pain levels during the program is due to a mistake in your training load.

These mistakes aren't always obvious, but basically any break from routine can be triggering - especially for a knee tha is only just starting to heal.

These training mistakes can include a range of things:

Stair climbing, hiking, or extra time on your feet
More sitting than usual
Skiing, mountain biking, cross country or other prolonged unusual activities
An increase in training/match intensity
An increase in training/match duration
Tournaments, training camps, intensive multi-day sports activities
Dropping off your consistency with the Osgood training program exercises
Ignoring and pushing through higher pain levels than you are willing to admit

For a healthy person (and soon to be you!) these activities are handled without any problems, but when the body and tissues are more sensitive and have a history of pain (like Osgood, or anyone with a history of Osgood) even a seemingly small change can be problematic.

I suggest referring back to the content in weeks 2 & 5 of the program to learn more about this concept of load management and continue with the slow steady progress on the plan.

There is no magical cure, fixing Osgood can take time and patience, but you are on the right track and situations like these do get rarer and less problematic as you continue!

I am still getting pain, has the program failed?

First of all it’s important to adjust and set appropriate expectations.

In the first 2-5 weeks of the program, your results can vary wildly, some people with Osgood can become completely pain free and return to full functioning. For others the first 5 weeks feels like nothing is happening, they can take 10+ weeks to see a full recovery.

This is why we allow you to maintain lifetime access to the program - to allow you to be patient and go at your own pace through the exercises.

It is not uncommon for your pain levels to fluctuate from day to day or week to week, both during the program and afterwards. What is important is that the general trend is heading downwards. If your pain is going up, then it might be that you need to adjust/reduce your sports and activity levels further, or review the videos for your program exercises to ensure your technique is on point.

I am up to week X and still getting pain, what do I do?‍

First of all, putting your pain numbers in perspective is really important, which is why we use the daily workbook to log the pain numbers each and every day.

Take a moment to look back at these numbers and reflect; are they going in a generally downward direction? Are they flat? or are they going up?

If you started the program with 7/10 pain during week 1 and are now at a 6/10 or lower then this is success, congratulations! You might not be all the way fixed, but we have made a start.

Every Osgood is unique so your pain numbers will progress at a pace that is appropriate to you. Be patient, and pay close attention to the details of each weeks instructions on the website.

Here are some guidelines for progressing through the program.

We encourage you to repeat a week over if your pain levels have not made any progress.
If a certain exercise or movement causes your knee pain numbers to rise during or after, stop doing it immediately. Review the exercise instructions, reduce the load or intensity of the exercise if possible and if you still can't get it right then take that movement off for another seven days.
Reassess your training load. Many athletes can continue with their sport during this program but some do have to take a few weeks off. If you are completing the program and still not making progress, it might be that you need more recovery time in your plan - try reducing your sports load and see if that helps.

I just finished week seven and my knees still hurt, what do I do now?‍

The first thing to clarify is how much they hurt.

Go back through your workbook and look at all the pain numbers, have they been trending down? staying flat? or up and down?

If they have been trending down but are not yet at a zero, this is completely normal, your knees might just need a little more time to fully recover.

Continue to follow the week seven plan and continue logging your pain levels. Everyone adapts at a different rate, so be thorough and consistent with the training.

If your pain has not gotten better at all then there are two potential solutions:

You might have another underlying condition that is effecting your knees, consider consulting a physical therapist/sports doctor to have your knees reassessed.
If it is indeed Osgood, the other option is you might have rushed through the program. Go back to week one and start the program again, this time paying close attention to the details. This program has never failed to eliminate Osgood pain when done in its entirety. It might also pay to do a further deload in your sporting loads for the second time through the program, giving your knees more time to rest and recover.

Remember, we offer a money back guarantee, so if you find out after a medical reassessment that your knee pain is not Osgood Schlatters, does not get better with our program and is indeed something else, get in touch and we will refund the cost of the program in full.

Sport and activity questions

*** Please note: It’s not advised to start (or restart) new sports or activities while doing this program.

Can I play sport during the program?

Yes!

Depending on the severity of your Osgood Schlatters, most athletes find they can maintain most if not all of their regular training and playing throughout this program.

As a starting place we recommend that where possible athletes reduce their training volume/frequency by 20-30% for the first two weeks to allow the mobilisation and strengthening work to take effect.

From weeks three onwards, a gradual return to pre-injury playing and training loads should cause no new problems for most athletes.

Throughout the program use pain levels during, after and the following morning from any sports activity as your guide for tolerance to that loading. If pain increases noticeably at any of these time points then the session was too intense or too long, reduce for the next session and try again. This may take some trial and error to get right.

If any of the following occurs, we recommend taking a full 36-48 hours rest until the pain settles before a gentle and gradual return to sport again.

Your parents or coach spot a noticeable limp or favouring of the sore knee when running.
Pain levels go above 5/10 during a training session or game
Pain the morning following a training session or game is greater than a 5/10

If unsure, we advise erring on the side of caution and doing slightly less than you think. especially in the first 2-3 weeks.

Qe have a free seminar on our main Core Advantage website that is a great resource that will help you understand load management and how to best return to sport. Click here to watch the free workshop.

Returning to sport

If you have taken time off sport during or before this program, then being patient with your return is important. Rushing back to full activity has a high probability of a flare up in your knee pain.

The return to sport really is tricky, there is no perfect time or formula, but doing a little bit consistently before building up volumes is probably the best option.

My advice:

A first session back for your sport is best done away from competition or team training. I strongly advise you do this session alone with a coach, friend or parent to guide you.
Before starting write down (drill by drill, minute by minute) what you think might be a good first session for duration and intensity.
Halve all the numbers on the above planned first session and complete that amount of training with a full warm up and cool down.
Be willing to cut activities or drills if they cause discomfort in your knees.
See how your Osgood responds the next morning and have a rest day from sport
Either increase or decrease the previous session based on how well the knees responded and repeat!
No more than a 10% increase in sessions is ideal.

In a perfect world Usually 2-3 of these solo sessions before returning to team practice/competition. Obviously we don't always get the perfect situation, so you might need to be adaptable, good luck!

Can I do other activities during this program? (swim/cycle/ski/mountain bike/skip)

Almost always, the answer is no.

This is really important, it is not advised to start new sports or activities while doing this program.

A new sport or activity is defined as anything you weren't or aren't doing regularly during your weekly routine. While these novel activities are often gentler on the knees compared to your normal sporting activities, the very fact that they are novel makes them a dangerous idea.

So if you are a soccer player or a dancer, and very rarely do any cycling, do not start cycling during this program. obviously, if you are cyclist then the rules are different, you wil want to be cycling in accordance with the instructions in this program, but you probably shouldn't take up swimming!

Try your best to avoid these novel activities until either week 5 of the program or your pain levels are consistently 2/10 or lower and you are performing above 90% of your regular activity levels close to pain-free -whichever comes first.

Note: The exception is when it is advised by your medical professional and you find that this activity helps with your knee pain and function.

Novel activities are the major cause of knee pain flare-ups and slowed progress with the program.

Specific action causing knee pain

This is quite common especially with hard cutting, braking and landing type actions.

We recommend avoiding these intense and pain-provoking activities a little while longer. Instead for these activities you need to be much more selective and control your exposure.

That often means not playing in competitive games and being selective with which training drills you do. You should use this time to practice the provoking activities but at a much slower and gentler pace, building comfort and confidence in the movement at low volumes andd intensities and gradually building up from there

Can I still do my normal gym based training?‍

We recommend you avoid performing other lower body strength training exercises (squats, lunges, etc) while completing the Osgood training program as they can interfere with the recovery process during this program. Instead focus on the exercises within the seven week progression laid out on the website.

Feel free to continue with upper body and core training if you have already been doing this regularly.

I found some other exercises for Osgood online, should I do those as well?‍

No.

This program works brilliantly for Osgood as is. There is no need to add extra exercises or components to the routine. In fact, adding other components can actually have a negative effect on this programs results.

How do I stay fit or get fit again?

Do not panic about fitness.

I repeat, do not panic about fitness.

Fitness, conditioning or cardio is actually a really easy element to training and it improves rapidly.

But there is no point being fit, if you can't play because of injury and pain! For the duration of this program, and while your pain is above a 2/10 there is no need to put any energy or attention into your fitness levels.

Once you are pain-free and moving well on the court/field then usually fitness will take care of itself, if not then there are some suggested fitness workouts in week 7 and we also have an online conditioning program that is available via the Shop.

Pain relief (ice, heat, pills, straps, braces)

Should I be using ice during this program?

Avoid if possible.

Ice is actually no longer a recommended method for treating injuries. In fact, the inventor of the RICE method has released a statement saying he was wrong to suggest this as an injury protocol. This paper explains why.

Most people find they do not need to ice during this program.

Ice can help by reducing pain but has little effect on curing Osgood.

Should I be using heat during this program?

Definitely not.

Heat is inflammatory and while it feels nice in the short term it can introduce more inflammation to the tissues we are trying to make less inflamed!

Should I be using anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) during this program?

Probably not.

Like ice, they will not benefit the healing process. Only take NSAIDs if prescribed by a medical practitioner.

Should I be using painkillers during this program?

Definitely not.

Like ice they will not benefit the healing process. Painkillers also mask your pain levels making it impossible to accurately gauge how effective the training program is.

Do knee straps help?

In our experience knee straps (the kind that apply pressure onto the tendon under the kneecap) can provide some level of pain relief (whether this is due to placebo or not we aren’t sure).

If you already use them and feel they help, continue using them, if you don’t, we recommend this product on Amazon if you want to try them, but they are very much optional.

Knee straps can also provide protection from knocks and bangs which some people find very helpful. Alternatively, some people like padded knee sleeves instead, especially for court sports.

Should I start/stop wearing orthotics or change my shoes?

Probably not.

In our experience the role of footwear and orthotics in Osgood Schlatter treatment is overplayed. We don't see much of a change when making adjustments to footwear or inserts/orthotics.

Every person is unique so they may work for you, but it definitely isn’t a big rock for this program to be successful.

If you also struggle with Severs however, then a heel wedge or orthotic can be incredibly beneficial. Check out our Severs training plan here →

Equipment and supplies

Do I have to join a gym?

Not necessarily.

While having a leg extension machine certainly helps, similar results can be achieved with grocery bags or ankle weights at home. We will show and detail options for both gym access and home training throughout the program.

What is the best foam roller?

Softer is better to start with.

Foam rollers can be bought from all sports and in some department stores. Our favourite is the Trigger Point 13″ original roller which you can get online from Amazon and most sporting good stores.

When in doubt aim for a roller that is at least 30cm long (12″), 12-18cm in diameter (5-7″) and softer is better for young tight athletes starting out.

The key factor when buying a roller is it should not have spikes as these create unnecessary pain with no added benefit (in fact, spikey rollers are mostly worse because they do not provide the even pressure needed to release out an entire muscle).

If you have not rolled before it is going to be painful to begin with but it’s important that you persist as this pain is directly linked to the same tightness that may be contributing to your knee pain.

Over time the rolling pain will decrease with regular rolling and should be gone within the first week or so. If your pain levels persist, don’t stress, your legs might be extra tight, or your roller is too firm. Try a softer roller and pay close attention to the details of the rolling routine.

The interval app

The Core Advantage Interval timing app is an optional extra to help you accurately time your stretching and knee isometric exercises during the program.

To download the app search “Core Advantage Interval” on either the iOS App store or the Google Play store, we should be the first option that pops up

You do not need to login to the interval timer to use it.

The log in section of the interval timing app is used as a booking system for our in-gym members here in Melbourne, Australia. You will just use the interval timers on the first page of the app for your exercises during the program.

Questions about exercises

Foam rolling‍‍

The rolling is incredibly painful, do we still have to do it?

Yes.

The first two weeks of the program with the foam rolling and the knee isometrics are crucial to both the short term pain reduction and long term success of the program. I do assure you that the foam rolling will improve and even become enjoyable, but you just have to fight through the first few sessions as your very tight muscles become accustomed to the roller. Starting with a softer roller can be one way of getting around this hurdle. As a bonus softer rollers are usually cheaper too.

NOTE: Rolling should never cause shooting or sharp pains and should never hurt your joints. If this occurs please stop immediately and seek medical advice.

Can I massage the legs or use a massage stick instead of a foam roller?

No.

Massage sticks do not apply enough pressure to have the same effect, and while massage is a useful addition to your rolling routine, it takes hands to administer and is not a good long term solution. Learning to roll and doing this regularly has huge benefits for both helping with your Osgood and improving your long term performance and resilience.

There are clinicians online who suggest that rolling is a waste of time and ineffective. Stating that you do not need it and should not use them.

This has simply not been our experience with more than two-decades of working in injury rehabilitation and high performance for youth and professional athletes . Foam rolling is one of the key factors we see in our athletic population that leads to fewer niggles and overuse injuries, less aches and pains, faster recovery time, better warm-up, and greater overall improvements in physical performance over time.

Rolling is so cheap, so easy to do, and has such a high return for just a few minutes per day that we think it should be the first part of every athlete’s (and human’s!) warm up and cool down regardless of sport and experience level. The long-term benefits are astounding.

For you in the short term, when combined with the rest of the activities in this Osgood training program it has tremendous ability to help alleviate your pain and get you back to playing sport rapidly - a small price to pay for being pain-free and back to full participation in the sport you love!

What is the best foam roller?

Foam rollers can be bought from all sports and in some department stores. Our favourite is the Trigger Point 13″ original roller which you can get online from Amazon and most sporting good stores.

When in doubt aim for a roller that is at least 30cm long (12″), 12-18cm in diameter (5-7″) and softer is better for young tight athletes starting out.

If you have not rolled before it is going to be painful to begin with but it’s important that you persist as this pain is due to the same tightness that is contributing to your knee pain. Over time the rolling pain will gradually decrease with regular rolling and should be gone within the first week or so. If your pain levels persist, don’t stress, your legs might be extra tight, or your roller is too firm. Try a softer roller and pay close attention to the details of the rolling routine.

We will be traveling with luggage restrictions. Is it possible to swap out the normal sized foam roller for a smaller trigger ball or rolling stick during this week?

As a direct substitute, trigger balls and massage sticks are not adequate to replace a standard foam roller. It isn’t possible to use these effectively on the quads and the massage effect is not as good.

However, anything is better than nothing so yes, if you physically cannot take the roller then a ball or massage still can be a short term substitute to at least maintain some of your momentum on the program, these should not be considered long term options however.

I've heard of risks to foam rolling, specifically, rolling away from the heart and against the valves in veins. Are these concerns about damaging valves valid? Should we be careful applying pressure away from the heart?

Physiology and biomechanics are very nuanced areas of research and study so it’s tricky to get into the specifics, but these concerns are grossly over-stated, and some of the science in these arguments is a bit off.

With more than 21 years experience coaching athletes, teaching and utilising foam rolling for 15 of those and more than 5,000 athletes coached in person, plus the 3000 + who have completed our online program, not once has this issue of veins and valves presented for our team at Core Advantage!

It seems logical, but if rolling were intense enough to cause these issues, then skinny jeans, massage, compression garments and leggings would all also need to carry these warnings also! (Which they do not - because they are not risky items).

As long as you use a soft roller (and one that does not have spikes), roll slowly and avoid rolling directly on the joints then rolling carries significant benefit with very little downside or risk.

Isometrics‍‍

The knee isometrics are too easy with only 5lbs (2.5kg). Can you clarify whether we should look for heavier weights?

Harder is not always better and in the case of isometrics there is a good chance heavier loads will actually make them less effective

I suggest being twice as patient on the iso loading and stay with the 5lb (2.5kg) for another week, if pain levels continue to go down increase to 7lbs (3.5kg) and then 10lbs (4.5kg) the week after.

Our coaching experience suggests that young athletes who freestyle on the load selection for their isos will try to do the same on other elements of the program and are often too aggressive on the re-load back into sport.

This is your notice to be on the look out for a aset back later when this aggressive impatient approach comes back to bike!

How to progress loads on the isometrics from week to week.

Please be as slow working up the load as you can bear.

Many athletes never need to increase the load they lift for the entire program. 5-10lbs (2.5-5kg) is perfectly adequate. The progression comes from the other activities in this program and in your return to sport

It is not about how heavy the weight is but how well you can control the weight for the entire 30-second hold that matters.

Time under tension is the key here. It is this full duration of each hold, with no cheating, shaking or bouncing that is beneficial for the knees.

My son is lifting his entire thigh off the chair because he says it “makes it harder” on the knee isometrics

This is an incorrect method. Harder is not better for this exercise to be effective.

My concern is this may simply be redistributing the load to the hip flexor. This method is likely to make the root cause of the problem worse by tightening up the quads and hip flexor.

How often per day should I do the knee isometrics

Once per day is appropriate in the first two weeks, later in the program you will phase down to only doing them 3x per week.

Instructions for this are laid out in the weekly instructions and in the workbook.

Can I do more 30 second holds on the knee isometrics?

No.

Do exactly the amount prescribed in each weeks instructions and in the workbook.

My knees are more painful after the knee isometrics than before

It’s important to clarify how they are sore.

Is it general fatigue and muscular soreness in the thighs from holding the weights? This is totally fine and you should continue, your weak quads are now getting stronger!

Is it sharp pain directly at the Osgood site? If so, please go over the instructions again very carefully closely following the advice laid out there. THe most common mistakes ared locking out the knee into an aggressive full extension or not having the full thigh supported by the chair/bench below. You can also try reducing the load.

Is it another form of knee pain? It is important that you rule out other potential injuries of the knee. Get a physiotherapist or doctor for a professional assessment. There is a chance you have another pathology and that our program might be irritating that condition.

If the diagnosis confirms it is not Osgood please email us about securing your refund.

Lastly, after all of this, it is possible that you are not ready for the iso holds just yet. Do not continue with the knee holds if they cause pain. Continue the foam rolling, but stop the knee isometrics until you have better understanding of the problem.

You can also try doing the holds with no weight (just your leg) and see if that can be tolerated. (your lower leg will still have some weight to create an adaptation in the knees)

Squatting

The squats hurt, why?

There are a few reasons why the squats might be causing you pain, let’s go through them.

Squatting too deep. Really the shallower the better to start, range can be added and progressed later
Squatting forwards. Too much of your weight is moving forwards into the knees not back into the hips. Try for an even distribution between hips and knees (using the glutes)
Progressing too fast. You might not be ready for squats yet. Refer to your pain numbers in the previous week and possibly go back and repeat the last week, before trying squats again.

Options to make squatting less painful

First, be sure to pay close attention to the instructions laid out in the Osgood videos, after that try these tips below.

There are three ways to assist the squatting exercise and make it less painful. You can only try one of these at a time - they do not work together.

Squeeze a roller between the lower thigh. This can help activate the quads and improve stability
Put a mini-band around your lower thighs. This can also improve stability but through a reverse mechanism - by helping your glutes work better.
Use a bench/door frame to assist you. Holding onto something can help improve balance and encourage the glutey shape we are chasing with the squat.

Load management (weeks 2 & 5)

Load management is a really important part of your success with the program and is key to staying Osgood free in the long-term.

There are no additional notes in this support document at this point, but while it may be tempting to skip these educational weeks, we advise against this.

The #1 cause of relapsed Osgood symptoms and a setback in the program beyond week 5 is not adhering to the load management principles.

Rate of Progression

I am up to week X and still getting pain, what do I do?‍

First of all, putting your pain numbers in perspective is really important, which is why we use the daily workbook to log the pain numbers each and every day.

Take a moment to look back at these numbers and reflect; are they going in a generally downward direction? Are they flat? or are they going up?

If you started the program with 7/10 pain during week 1 and are now at a 6/10 or lower then this is success, congratulations! You might not be all the way fixed, but we have made a start.

Every Osgood is unique so your pain numbers will progress at a pace that is appropriate to you. Be patient, and pay close attention to the details of each weeks instructions on the website.

Here are some guidelines for progressing through the program.

We encourage you to repeat a week over if your pain levels have not made any progress.
If a certain exercise or movement causes your knee pain numbers to rise during or after, stop doing it immediately. Review the exercise instructions, reduce the load or intensity of the exercise if possible and if you still can't get it right then take that movement off for another seven days.
Reassess your training load. Many athletes can continue with their sport during this program but some do have to take a few weeks off. If you are completing the program and still not making progress, it might be that you need more recovery time in your plan - try reducing your sports load and see if that helps.

I just finished week seven and my knees still hurt, what do I do know?‍

The first thing to clarify is how much they hurt.

Go back through your workbook and look at all the pain numbers, have they been trending down? staying flat? or up and down?

If they have been trending down but are not yet at a zero, this is completely normal, your knees might just need a little more time to fully recover.

Continue to follow the week seven plan and continue logging your pain levels. Everyone adapts at a different rate, so be thorough and consistent with the training.

If your pain has not gotten better at all then there are two potential solutions:

You might have another underlying condition that is effecting your knees, consider consulting a physical therapist/sports doctor to have your knees reassessed.
If it is indeed Osgood, the other option is you might have rushed through the program. Go back to week one and start the program again, this time paying close attention to the details. This program has never failed to eliminate Osgood pain when done in its entirety. It might also pay to do a further deload in your sporting loads for the second time through the program, giving your knees more time to rest and recover.

The program isn't working!

What if this doesn’t work for me?

We have never seen this program fail when done in its entirety with 100% adherence.

If you have Osgood, you do the work and follow the plan, this program will provide relief for your knee pain.

I am up to week X and still getting pain, what do I do?‍

First of all, putting your pain numbers in perspective is really important, which is why we use the daily workbook to log the pain numbers each and every day.

Take a moment to look back at these numbers and reflect; are they going in a generally downward direction? Are they flat? or are they going up?

If you started the program with 7/10 pain during week 1 and are now at a 6/10 or lower then this is success, congratulations! You might not be all the way fixed, but we have made a start.

Every Osgood is unique so your pain numbers will progress at a pace that is appropriate to you. Be patient, and pay close attention to the details of each weeks instructions on the website.

Here are some guidelines for progressing through the program.

We encourage you to repeat a week over if your pain levels have not made any progress.
If a certain exercise or movement causes your knee pain numbers to rise during or after, stop doing it immediately. Review the exercise instructions, reduce the load or intensity of the exercise if possible and if you still can't get it right then take that movement off for another seven days.
Reassess your training load. Many athletes can continue with their sport during this program but some do have to take a few weeks off. If you are completing the program and still not making progress, it might be that you need more recovery time in your plan - try reducing your sports load and see if that helps.

I just finished week seven and my knees still hurt, what do I do know?‍

The first thing to clarify is how much they hurt.

Go back through your workbook and look at all the pain numbers, have they been trending down? staying flat? or up and down?

If they have been trending down but are not yet at a zero, this is completely normal, your knees might just need a little more time to fully recover.

Continue to follow the week seven plan and continue logging your pain levels. Everyone adapts at a different rate, so be thorough and consistent with the training.

If your pain has not gotten better at all then there are two potential solutions:

You might have another underlying condition that is effecting your knees, consider consulting a physical therapist/sports doctor to have your knees reassessed.
If it is indeed Osgood, the other option is you might have rushed through the program. Go back to week one and start the program again, this time paying close attention to the details. This program has never failed to eliminate Osgood pain when done in its entirety. It might also pay to do a further deload in your sporting loads for the second time through the program, giving your knees more time to rest and recover.

I also have pain in my heels/ankles

This might be Severs, you might also need to complete our Severs program. Use the code osgoodsevers at checkout for 30% off the price of this second program.

You can complete both programs simultaneously

Check it out at this link →

My Osgood pain has come back

This is not uncommon and it has two most likely causes.

A violation of your training load consistency. Refer to the information in weeks 2 & 5 about training load management. Reassess your training and playing schedule and potentially reduce load to begin another gradual ramp up in training.
Stopped doing the week seven training plan. While you don’t have to complete the entire week 7 program every single week, you should still roll, stretch and activate most days, and complete the workout 1-2 times per week, especially the knee isometrics and the squats.

Assess both of the above and correct course. Setbacks are part of the game, the sooner you recognise the issue (a spike in sporting activity or a drop in program completion) the sooner you can get back on course and avoid having to go all the way back to week 1!‍

My question wasn't answered.

You should get in touch with us via the Osgood support channel on Facebook. Our coaches are on this regularly to offer advice, support and guidance.

There are also a number of past parents and athletes who have successfully completed the program they are there to help too!

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