Teen athletes place high demands on their bodies. They’re often balancing rapid growth, school commitments and structured training schedules — sometimes all at once. During adolescence, bones can lengthen quickly, while muscles, tendons and ligaments may take longer to adapt. When this natural growth phase is combined with repetitive sporting movements and limited recovery time, knee pain becomes a common concern.
Recurrent or activity-related knee pain affects a significant number of young athletes. Research suggests between 18.5% and 30.5% of teenagers experience knee pain, particularly during periods of growth and increased training load. While this discomfort is often brushed off as “just growing pains,” it can reflect underlying movement, load or training-related factors that are worth addressing early.
Why Knee Pain Is So Common During the Teenage Years
Adolescence is a unique phase of physical development. Rapid changes in height, limb length and body proportions can temporarily alter coordination, balance and movement patterns. During this time, joints such as the knee may experience increased stress — especially in sports involving running, jumping, cutting and sudden changes of direction.
When these physical changes are paired with frequent training sessions, competition schedules and minimal recovery, the knee can become a focal point for overload.
Common Areas of Discomfort Seen in Teen Athletes
Although knee pain is a frequent complaint, it often doesn’t exist in isolation. Chiropractors and sports health professionals commonly observe associated areas of tension or restriction that can influence how load is managed through the knee, including:
Poor knee tracking, where the knee collapses inward or moves inefficiently during running, jumping or squatting
Heel pain linked to growth-related stress around the Achilles tendon
Hip flexor tightness, particularly in sprinting or kicking-based sports
Hamstring and quadriceps tightness, which can alter forces through the knee
Low back or pelvic discomfort, which may contribute to referred pain around the knee
In some cases, knee pain may be referred from the hips, pelvis or lower back, meaning the source of discomfort isn’t always within the knee joint itself. Intrinsic knee conditions can also play a role, particularly in sports such as football, basketball and netball where repetitive loading and directional changes are common.
Contributing Factors Chiropractors Commonly Look For
Overuse injuries in young athletes rarely have a single cause. They tend to develop when multiple factors accumulate over time. Research has consistently linked the following with increased injury risk in youth sport:
Sudden increases in training intensity, duration or volume
Limited sport-specific conditioning
Inadequate or poorly structured training programs
Inefficient movement or technique patterns
Inappropriate footwear or equipment
Growth spurts are a particularly important factor. When bones lengthen rapidly, surrounding soft tissues may struggle to keep pace. This can create sensations of tightness, pulling or general soreness around the knee. During these phases, movement patterns may temporarily change, increasing joint strain.
Other contributors can include early sport specialisation, one-sided sports (such as kicking-dominant codes), and insufficient recovery time between training sessions and games.
Why Balanced Movement Matters During Adolescence
The teenage years are a critical window for developing long-term movement habits. Patterns established during this time can carry into adulthood and influence injury risk later in life.
Balanced movement involves more than just the area that hurts. It includes joint mobility, muscular strength, coordination and control across the entire body. Developing symmetrical strength and efficient movement patterns helps distribute forces more evenly during sport, reducing unnecessary stress on the knees and other vulnerable joints.
Practical Strategies to Help Reduce Injury Risk
While injuries can’t always be prevented, several practical strategies may help support healthy development and reduce strain on growing bodies:
Gradually increase training loads, particularly after breaks or growth spurts
Encourage multi-sport participation to reduce repetitive strain and support balanced development
Prioritise recovery, including adequate sleep, rest days and lighter training periods
Incorporate age-appropriate strength and conditioning, focusing on hips, glutes, core and lower-limb control
Address flexibility restrictions, especially during rapid growth phases
Seek assessment when pain persists, rather than training through ongoing symptoms
Chiropractors commonly assess spinal, pelvic and lower-limb movement alongside sport-specific demands to identify contributing factors early and support efficient movement patterns.
Knee pain in teen athletes is common — but it shouldn’t be ignored or automatically dismissed as “normal.” Rapid growth, repetitive movement and increasing training demands can place significant stress on developing joints.
By understanding contributing factors, supporting balanced movement and addressing concerns early, young athletes may be better positioned to stay active, confident and resilient in their sport.
If your child is experiencing ongoing knee pain or movement-related discomfort, you may wish to consider an assessment at Total Health Chiropractic or speak with your trusted health professional. Early guidance can help clarify what’s contributing and support safe participation in sport.
References
American Journal of Sports Medicine. (2024). Overuse injuries in youth athletes: Risk factors and prevention strategies. The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
https://doi.org/10.1177/03635465241277162
DiFiori, J. P., Benjamin, H. J., Brenner, J. S., Gregory, A., Jayanthi, N., Landry, G. L., & Luke, A. (2014). Overuse injuries and burnout in youth sports: A position statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(4), 287–288.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5532199/
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