Acute pain associated with Osgood-Schlatter can be eased by applying ice to the area of discomfort. This cryotherapy can help reduce swelling and prevent pain. The knee also should be treated using the RICE system. This acronym highlights the following steps:

• R – Rest the knee
• I – Ice the affected area for 20 minutes, three times daily
• C – Compress the area with an elastic bandage
• E – Elevate the leg

Pain relievers (analgesics) also may help reduce swelling (edema) and pain. However, these medications should not be used on a child without first consulting a physician. Children should not be given aspirin, as it raises the risk of Reye syndrome, a potentially fatal condition.

The RICE treatment is usually followed up by stretching and strengthening exercises of the quadriceps, but in most cases long-term treatment of Osgood-Schlatter disease consists of resting the leg and refraining from certain activities until the leg heals. Modifying activity levels is important to allow the growth plate to fuse and to avoid placing additional stress on the leg.  Patients are usually told to reduce or cease activities that are suspected of causing the condition. After two to four months, the child may be healed enough to return to the activity. In general, activities that involve deep knee bending should be avoided. Children also may be urged to run at slower speeds and to reduce the amount of time spent running and jumping.

If these steps fail to relieve pain, the patient may be asked to wear braces on each knee that reduce the tension exerted on the patellar tendons and the quadriceps. Crutches also are sometimes used to keep pressure off these areas of the leg.

More significant cases of Osgood-Schlatter disease may require the full leg to be immobilized in a cast for several weeks. Surgery may be necessary in severe episodes where the child has stopped growing but the ends of the bones are fragmented and have not yet healed.

It may take several weeks to months before the child is fully healed. Children who have recovered from Osgood-Schlatter may need to ease back into activity through a regimen of physical therapy and exercise therapy. They may also need to wear a brace on the knee when engaging in certain activities.

Although Osgood-Schlatter can flare up again at a future time, it usually resolves completely by the time a person is around 18 to 20 years old.