Pain along the inside edge of the shinbone, caused by inflammation of the muscles, tendons and bone tissue around it.
A sudden increase in running distance or intensity, running on hard surfaces, worn-out shoes, or flat feet. It is very common at the start of a season or when starting a new sport.
Pain and swelling at the bony bump just below the kneecap, where the patellar tendon attaches to a growth plate at the top of the shin. It only happens while you are still growing, and it does not cause permanent damage.
Running, jumping and kicking repeatedly pull on the growth plate through the tendon, most often between about 10 and 15 during growth spurts, in sports like football, basketball, volleyball and gymnastics.
Pain in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shin, felt just below the kneecap, that starts during or after activity and gradually begins to interfere with training.
Repeated jumping and landing overloads the tendon faster than it can repair, common in basketball, volleyball, athletics and dance. Tight thigh muscles and sudden increases in training make it more likely.
If something hurts, stop. These exercises support recovery and prevention; they do not replace a doctor or physiotherapist.
Pain at the bump below the kneecap during a growth spurt is very common and usually Osgood-Schlatter disease, which settles once you stop growing. It is still worth having a doctor confirm the diagnosis, because other causes of knee pain need different treatment. Pain deep inside the knee, a knee that gives way, locks or swells suddenly after a twist, or a pop at the time of injury, is not growing pain and needs to be seen quickly.
For overuse problems like Osgood-Schlatter, jumper's knee and shin splints, cutting back on the activities that hurt is usually enough, alongside ice, stretching and strengthening. Most people need at least a few weeks of reduced activity. Stopping everything is rarely necessary, but pushing through pain makes all three conditions worse and last longer.
Increase training gradually rather than in big jumps, replace worn-out shoes, stretch the front and back of the thigh and the calves regularly, and strengthen the muscles around the knee. Most lower-leg overuse injuries come from doing too much, too soon, on legs that are not yet strong enough for it.
Had a Knee/Lower Leg injury? Share it in the Injury Archive, open from 30 October to 30 November 2026.