“This has probably been asked before but I’d love you to shine some light on this mystery for me please.
What exactly are “growing pains” ???
My 8 year old daughter seems to get them a lot and more so in recent weeks. She literally screams with the pain.
I give her pain relief and rub her legs while I try to talk to her and take her mind off it. But what causes this??
I know it’s not “growing” because I suffered really bad with them as a child and my legs are probably the same length they were when I was 10 😂 I just worry about her because as she was screaming with the pain last night I was thinking to myself, if this pain was in her tummy or her head and was causing this much heartache for her, I assume I would be getting her checked out. But because it’s her legs I brush it off as “growing pains” and carry on till next time. What’s the right thing to do??”
So, let’s talk: What are they and what can you do?
What are growing pains?
Growing pains are recurring episodes of pains in legs in children at night that end themselves each time, and have no explanation. Docs also call them “idiopathic nocturnal pains of childhood.” Some children also have arm pain, tummy ache, or headache when they have those pains.
Who gets them?
10-20% of all children, though as high as 37% in some studies.
Why do they get them?
Docs honestly don’t know. We call them “growing pains”, but although they occur in growing children (which, frankly, is all children), pain doesn’t seem to actually occur during a growth spurt, at known bony growth plates, and have no effect on growing. There have been a lot of studies, but only one thing that has stood out: 70% of children with growing pains have it in their family. If you had them as a child, more likely your child will.
Might my child’s night time pain be growing pain?
Maybe:
●Is your child between ages 3 to 12 years?
●Is the pain in the legs? It can sometimes affect arms as well, but legs will be involved.
●Is it both sides and feels deep inside calves or thighs?
●Is the pain very severe? Does your older child describe it as crampy or describe restless legs?
●Is the pain only at night and your child is mostly okay during the day?
●The pain doesn’t seem to specifically affect joints (knees/hips/ankles)
●Does the pain occur at least once a month for 3 months.
●Are the episodes of pain broken up, not every night?
●Does it seem that these episodes occur or are worse if your child has had a unusually active day?
●Is your child otherwise perfectly well?
There are some other and serious causes of night time bony pain in children. They are RARE, and honestly don’t Dr. Google it, it will cause you unnecessary anxiety! I’m going to skip over them, because it isn’t necessary to list them, but just to point out that I would recommend making a GP appointment and going through it with your GP. Your GP may ask for blood tests or xrays, just to be sure, if s/he has any concern. As a whole, we usually expect them to be normal. How can you help your GP? Keep a log of your child’s episodes of pain, with this information:
●Record date and time of pain episodes and how long each episode lasts. What exactly hurts?
●What was your child doing earlier that day?
●Did anything you try make it better? [see below]
●Are there any daytime symptoms or change in activities or way your child walks?
●Are there any other symptoms or way your child is unwell, including tummy pain or headache?
●Was your child recently unwell in any way?
●Has your child recently started a new sport or activity?
●Is there a family history of growing pains (worth asking your own mammy) or medical problems, including sickle cell anaemia?
●Your GP may also ask you, if they don’t have the record, about your child’s birth/birthweight and Vit. D supplementation.
●Your GP may also ask you about any current stress that your child or family is under, or any reason your might be using pain to avoid something? So worth noting in that log any worries you have about cyber/bullying, stress in a new school, life events, etc.
What can you try at home if you have already been diagnosed with growing pains or waiting for GP assessment?
● massage
● paracetamol or nurofen often help
●heat/hot water bottle
●Vitamin D has been shown to help if your child has low Vit. D. I can’t emphasize this enough to ask Vit. D supplements for children with your registered chemist/pharmacist or GP to make sure you are getting an appropriate supplement. Many multivitamins for children don’t contain enough of what children need. If you missed it, here is why: https://bit.ly/2ELc4ka
I’d like to point out that the level of exploitation and quackery regarding growing pains in children is excessive, even by internet standards. Be very careful what and where you are getting your information or offers of treatment.
Do not attend an complementary or alternative practitioner unless you and your GP are satisfied nothing else is going on. Evidence is not good for any supplements or chiropractic manipulations for growing pains. If stress is a factor, therapies that include mindfulness, massage, yoga, or meditation might be helpful. If your GP is concerned that it might be sports related, s/he might refer you for physiotherapy. If you choose to go privately, choose a chartered/CORU-registered physiotherapist who has experience with children.
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