Getting a leg up on Osgood Schlatter's disease

Q: My 12-year-old son has been complaining of knee pain for the past few weeks. I took him to the doctor, who recommended Tylenol and rest. Is there anything else we could try?

Dr. Wright: When knee pain occurs in children between the ages of 10 and 15 it usually indicates a condition called Osgood Schlatter's disease. This condition is characterized by a tender swelling an inch or two below the kneecap. Unfortunately, the "pain-reliever, wait-it-out" advice given by most pediatricians can take a year or more, and in the meantime, the child has to sit on the sidelines and watch his classmates play at recess.

But there's a better solution: 250 micrograms of selenium and 400 IU of vitamin E as mixed tocopherols will usually get rid of the pain in just four to six weeks. I'm not sure why most pediatricians haven't heard of this simple technique, but I've been using it in young people since 1979 with great success.

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