A knee that aches after every practice, a heel that hurts in cleats, a throwing arm that won't settle down. Young athletes are still growing, and their injuries need care that fits a growing body and a safe plan to get back in the game.
Yes, physical therapy helps most youth sports injuries. Growing bones have growth plates, and many injuries in kids and teens, like Osgood-Schlatter and Sever's disease, involve those areas. Most improve with the right balance of activity, strengthening and time. Rehab also helps young athletes return to sport safely, and injury-prevention exercise programs have been shown to lower the risk of ACL injuries. At ARI Physical Therapy in Bakersfield, every visit is one-on-one with a licensed physical therapist, and parents are welcome and encouraged to be part of visits.
Does this sound like you?
✓Pain and a tender bump just below the kneecap after running or jumping
✓Heel pain during or after sports, sometimes with limping or walking on toes
✓Shoulder or elbow pain in the throwing arm, or lost speed or accuracy
✓A sprain or strain that keeps getting re-injured
✓A knee injury with a pop, swelling or giving way
✓Aches that build up from playing one sport all year round
Common youth sports injuries
Young athletes get many of the same sprains and strains as adults, plus some problems that only happen in a growing body:
Osgood-Schlatter causes pain and a bump just below the kneecap, where the thigh muscle tendon pulls on a growth area of the shin bone. It is common during growth spurts in running and jumping sports.
Sever's disease is irritation of the growth area at the back of the heel, and is a common cause of heel pain in active children.
Little League shoulder and elbow are overuse injuries of the growth areas in the throwing arm, linked to throwing too much without enough rest.
ACL injuries are increasingly common in teen athletes, especially in sports with cutting, pivoting and landing. See our ACL and MCL guide.
Sprains and strains of the ankle, knee and muscles. See our muscle strain guide.
Growing bodies and overuse
Growth plates are weaker than the bone around them, and during growth spurts muscles and tendons can feel tight and pull harder on them. Playing one sport all year, with little rest, adds up. Sports medicine groups generally recommend regular rest days each week and a break from the main sport for part of the year, and following pitch-count and rest guidelines for throwers. Rehab focuses on easing pain, building strength, balance and control, and a gradual, safe return to sport. We give clear guidance families can share with coaches and athletic trainers.
What treatment at ARI looks like
1
A one-on-one evaluation
Your child's first visit takes about 45 to 60 minutes. We check where it hurts and why, look at strength, flexibility, balance and how they run, jump, land or throw, and talk with you about their sport and schedule.
2
Recover and get stronger
Adjusting practice and play while things settle, then age-appropriate strengthening, flexibility, balance and movement training, plus a home program that fits around school and sport.
3
Safe return and prevention
A step-by-step return to full practice and games based on strength and movement, injury-prevention exercises, and clear guidance for parents and coaches on training load and rest.
No referral needed to start. In California, you can see a physical therapist directly for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage; call us at (661) 282-8584 and we'll help you check.
When to see a doctor first
See a doctor promptly, or get emergency care, if your child has:
Pain right over a bone, a limp that won't go away, or they can't put weight on the leg after an injury, which can be a fracture or growth-plate injury
A pop followed by quick swelling in the knee or another joint
Numbness, tingling, or a hand or foot that is cold or pale
A hot, swollen, painful joint with fever, or a child who seems unwell, which needs urgent care
A suspected concussion, such as headache, confusion, dizziness or acting differently after a blow to the head or body. Stop play and have them seen by a doctor before returning to sport.
Why patients choose ARI
Care at ARI is always one-on-one and in person with a licensed physical therapist at our Bakersfield clinic: 8200 Stockdale Hwy, Suite B2, in the Town & Country Village center next to Trader Joe's. Our clinic director, Deepa Konnur, PT, MPT, OCS, is a board-certified Orthopedic Certified Specialist. We accept most private insurance plans and Medicare, and we have staff who speak Spanish and Hindi.
Youth sports injury FAQs
Not always. Growing pains usually affect both legs, come on in the evening or at night and are gone by morning. Pain in one spot, pain with sport, swelling or limping is more likely a specific problem like Osgood-Schlatter and is worth having checked.
Often not completely. Many overuse problems in young athletes do well with less load for a while, not full rest. Your therapist will help set limits that let your child stay active while the area settles.
The risk can be lowered. Warm-up programs that train strength, balance, landing and cutting have been shown to reduce ACL injuries in young athletes, especially girls. Your therapist can teach exercises that fit your child's sport.
Playing one sport year-round with little rest is linked to more overuse injuries and burnout. Many sports medicine groups recommend regular rest days each week, a break from the main sport for part of the year, and trying other sports, especially for younger athletes.
No. In California you can see a physical therapist directly for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. Some insurance plans still require a referral for coverage, so call us at (661) 282-8584 and we'll help you check.