Your 8-year-old son wakes up crying in the night complaining that his legs
are throbbing. You rub them, and soothe him as much as you can, but are
uncertain about whether to give him any medication or take him to the
doctor.
Sound familiar? Your child is probably experiencing growing pains, a
normal occurrence in about 25% of children. Read below to find out more about
this common problem.
Diagnosis
Growing pains generally strike during two periods: in early
childhood among 3- to 5-year-olds and later on in 8- to 12-year-olds. They are
what doctors call a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that other
conditions should be ruled out before a diagnosis of growing pains is made. A
thorough history and
physical examination by your child's doctor can usually accomplish this. In rare
instances, blood and X-ray studies may be required before a final diagnosis of
growing pains is made.
Causes
No firm evidence exists to show that
growth of bones causes pain. The most likely causes of growing pains, therefore,
are the aches and discomforts resulting from jumping, climbing, and running
pursued by active children during the day. The pains can occur after a child has
had a particularly athletic day.
Signs and Symptoms
Although growing pains often
strike in late afternoon or early evening before bed, there are occasions when
pain can wake a slumbering child. The intensity of the pain varies from child to
child, and most kids don't experience the pains every day. "Growing pains are
often intermittent, coming once a week or even more infrequently," says Dr.
James White, a family practitioner.
Growing pains always concentrate in the muscles, rather than the joints. Most
children report pains in the front of their thighs, in the calves, or behind the
knee. While joints affected by more serious diseases are swollen, red, tender,
or warm, the joints of children experiencing growing pains appear normal.
One symptom that doctors find most helpful in making a diagnosis of growing
pains is how the child responds to touch while in pain. Children who have pain
for a serious medical disease do not like to be handled, since movement tends to
increase the pain. Children with growing pains respond differently; they feel
better when they are held, massaged, and cuddled.
Treatment
Massage, stretching, heat,
acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) may help to relieve the pain.
Although the pains point to no serious illness, they can be upsetting to a child
(or a parent!). Because a child seems completely cured of her aches in the
morning, parents sometimes suspect that the child faked the pains. However, this
usually is not the case. Support and reassurance that growing pains will pass as
children grow up can help them relax.
When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Your child's
doctor should be alerted if any of the following symptoms occur with your
child's pain: persistent pain, swelling, or redness in one particular area or
joint; fever; limping;
unusual rashes; loss of appetite; weakness; tiredness; or uncharacteristic
behavior. These signs do not accompany growing pains and may be an indication of
a medical problem that needs attention. Pains or symptoms localized to the
shoulders, arms, wrists, hands, fingers, neck, or back, or pain associated with
a particular injury are not due to growing pains, and should be evaluated by a
child's doctor.
Updated and reviewed by: Kim Rutherford, MD
Date
reviewed: June 2001
Originally reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD, and Robert
Cooper, MD
