Growing Pains
Growing Pains is the name given to a painful, as yet little understood condition affecting one in three children during pre-school and early primary school years. Children affected by growing pains will typically experience pains in their legs which: occur late in the day or at night and may wake the child from sleep; occur in the muscles, not in the joints; affect both legs, not one; are felt in the front of the thighs, the calf area or behind the knee; are gone by morning, causing no limping or difficulties while walking or running; appear to be linked with increased activity levels.
Little is known about what causes growing pains, but most experts believe there is little connection between growth pains and growth spurts. More likely causes are: poor posture – standing or walking abnormally puts greater than usual strain on the supporting muscles of the body, with the result that children whose feet roll in (are very flat or pronated) may have more trouble with growing pains than others; muscular tiredness – strenuous activity throughout the day, resulting in muscle fatigue in the legs, may contribute to the pain in some children; poor flexibility – during periods of rapid growth the child’s muscles and tendons may become tight, restricting available motion in the joints of the legs, feet and ankles.
If your child appears to be suffering from growing pains, it is important you make sure there is no other cause for pain. Serious health problems that can cause pains in the legs include rheumatoid arthritis, infections like osteomyelitis, a bone infection, and tumours. You should always seek medical advice if your child: has severe pain that only affects one leg, or is still present during the day; is unwell or has a fever or loss of appetite; has swelling, redness or tenderness around a joint, or is limping.
If no other cause is present, it is important you take your child to a podiatrist, who will check his or her foot posture, gait and school shoes. If your child has flat or pronated feet, this may contribute to the development and frequency of growing pains.
You can also help to relieve growing pains by: giving your child a warm bath or heat packs before bed; encouraging your child to stretch the calf and thigh muscles of each leg, at the end of the day; massaging the thigh and calf muscles, using massage oil or Sorbolene cream; encouraging your child to drink plenty of water during the day, especially on hot days or when playing sport; giving your child paracetamol to reduce pain.
You should always seek medical advice if your child: has severe pain that only affects one leg, or is still present during the day; is unwell or has a fever or loss of appetite; has swelling, redness or tenderness around a joint, or is limping.
If your child experiences ‘growing pains’, or you are concerned about his or her foot health or development, contact us.
|
