Many children experience aches and pains that they call growing pains. Although uncomfortable, growing pains are not serious and do not cause long-term damage to bones or joints.
These pains are usually achy or throbbing in the front of the thighs, calves and behind the knees. They occur in the evening or night and can wake a child from sleep.
Causes
Growing pains are recurrent episodes of pain in the lower legs and feet. The pain is often described as deep and crampy, occurring mainly in the thighs and calves. It usually occurs in the evening and may wake a child up from sleep. It is not known what causes these pains. Some people think they are caused by too much physical activity. Others think they are due to muscle soreness or stress. Still others think that they are caused by flat feet or low levels of vitamin D. Whether growing pains are caused by all of these things or just one of them, they are harmless and do not cause any permanent damage to bones or muscles.
A child’s doctor will examine him and make a diagnosis based on his symptoms. He or she will also ask about your child’s history and lifestyle. Usually, a physical exam will find nothing wrong. If the problem persists, your doctor might do blood tests or other imaging studies to rule out other problems.
If the leg pain is severe or persists for a long time, it might be worth a trip to the doctor. This is especially important if the pain is accompanied by a fever, rash, or loss of appetite. The doctor can check to see if the pain is really growing pains or a more serious problem.
Symptoms
Growing pains are aching or throbbing feelings that most kids have in their legs, typically in the front of the thighs, the calves and/or behind the knees. The pain usually happens in the afternoon or evening before bedtime and can sometimes wake a child from sleep. It doesn’t happen every day and there are days, weeks or even months between episodes of pain.
Kids can start having growing pains as young as 3 and they are most common in kids under 12 years old. They are called growing pains because people used to think the bones were growing quickly, but now experts know that’s not true. Growing pains aren’t caused by exercise and they don’t stop kids from playing.
Unlike other types of leg pain, growing pains do not cause kids to limp or have a tingling feeling in the feet or toes. They are also not worse after a long day of running around and playing sports.
Doctors don’t know what causes growing pains, but they do know that it’s not related to growth or a bone spur and that the pain isn’t in areas where the bones are getting bigger. They also don’t occur during growth spurts and most kids can continue to be active, even if they are having growing pains at night. However, it’s important to be aware that if your child has hip pain that does not go away after a few weeks or is accompanied by a fever, he or she should be seen by a doctor. This type of pain is often a sign of toxic synovitis, which can be a serious health condition.
Treatment
The clinical entity of growing pains is defined as non-articular, inter-mittent, bilateral musculo-skeletal aches and/or pains in the legs (usually in the calf or front of thigh) at night. They are not associated with limping or limitations of movement or other local signs of pathology and do not prevent sleep.1
Despite being a very frequent complaint amongst children, the cause of growing pains is not known. It has been suggested that they may be due to faulty posture, a metabolic waste product build-up or may be triggered by exercise. However, these theories have not been tested.
It is also believed that the aches are related to a lowered pain threshold and may be linked to psychological issues. There are no specific treatment options for growing pains, and a patient should not be treated as being in a ‘crisis’ as the symptoms will normally resolve on their own within a year or two.
If your child is experiencing leg pains that persist or are particularly severe, it’s a good idea to consult with a health care provider. A health care provider will be able to make sure that your child’s discomfort is not caused by another condition, such as Achilles tendonitis or patellofemoral syndrome (runner’s knee). In addition, your health care provider can provide advice on how to help reduce the severity of your child’s growing pains. These include warm baths, massaging the legs, using a heat pack and encouraging rest. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can also help ease your child’s discomfort.
Prevention
Growing pains are usually described as an aching or throbbing pain that affects the front of the thighs, calves, and behind the knees in both legs. It usually occurs late in the day or night and may wake the child from sleep. The pain lasts for a few minutes to hours and goes away by morning.
While no one knows what causes growing pains, doctors do know that the pain is not caused by a growth spurt and it does not happen every day. Kids can have growing pains on and off for months or even years, with stretches of weeks or months between episodes. Growing pains do not cause other health problems and they do not interfere with a kid’s ability to be physically active during the day.
A warm bath before bedtime, massage, or a dose of children’s acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can help relieve the pain. It is important not to give a child two or more pain medicines at the same time, unless a doctor tells you to do so. Too much acetaminophen can be harmful.
Growing pains are not dangerous and will go away on their own within a year or so. Until then, it is helpful to talk with your child about the pain and encourage him or her to continue participating in physical activities.