GROWING PAINS – How well do you understand them?

Hi there - I vividly remember as a child waking up in middle of the night screaming out in agony because of pains in my legs. I felt unable to walk afterwards, as my legs would be so very sore. I remember these pains as if they were yesterday. Seems strange to remember them so vividly but they were a pain that haunted me for most of my childhood.

So far my children have been lucky and seem to avoided these horrible pains and I for one am glad that they haven’t suffered as I did. I wish I could say the same for other family member – sadly their children have not been so lucky. My eldest niece suffered from these pains and would often spend many sleepless nights with either me or her mum holding her.

Did you know that growing pains are considered to be very common? It is thought that up to 1 in 5 children will suffer from growing pains at least once during their primary school years, that is a large number of kids and it really makes me wonder why.

Do we know what causes growing pains?

Well this is something that continues to be debated throughout the medical community. Growing pains are thought to be related to high bouts of exercise but sadly this does not always seem the case. In most cases there seems to have been no one particular thing that has stood out. Then in some children growing pains have been associated with abdominal pain and headaches; this may suggest that growing pains may be part of the way in which a child may responds to stress.

Some other causes are thought to be:

• Muscular tiredness – It has been thought that by doing more physical activity than usual may cause your child's muscles to become tired BUT many have thought that this is untrue as most children do lots of exercise of different days and only some of these children suffer from these pains.
• Poor posture – As we know quite often many of our children have poor posture. Poor posture is the way our children stand, of and walk. It has been found by many that poor posture puts an extra strain on our children's muscles and also in turn their bones. There are also some children whose feet roll in (with very flat feet) . If your child has this problem then  may have more trouble with growing pains than other children
• Emotional upset – Another thought is that stress or unhappiness may trigger some of these aches and pains. However this is not always the case as many  of  the children who suffer from growing pains do not seem to be stressed or unhapy

What are the symptoms of growing pains?

Most children will often complain of a burning sensation that runs up and down their legs, mostly in the muscles of the thighs, calves, feet and sometimes in their joints. The pains can also occur in other parts of the body such as their stomach and arms although this seems to be unusual.

The pain seems to come mostly at night and usually wakes the child from a very deep sleep. This often leaves the child feeling frightened and miserable. Growing pains are also common in the daytime although rarely severe enough to interfere with daytime activities.

In most children the pain is irregular and unpredictable as it often tends to come and go. A child with growing pains is usually quite happy to allow you to massage the painful areas. Massaging the area helps us as parents to distinguish between growing pains and a more serious condition, as children with leg pains due to a more serious cause will usually avoid letting anyone touch the area.

Are there any tests to determine growing pains and can they be prevented?

Sadly at this stage there is no test to determine growing pains although your doctor will occasionally order an x-ray or blood test to rule out anything more serious such as a fracture or inflammation and Restless Leg Syndrome.

Sadly there is nothing you can do as a parent to prevent growing pains and most parents find this the most distressing part of all.

Please remember that it is always best to seek medical advice if:

1. Your child’s pain is persistent.
2. Your child’s pain is still present in the morning.
3. Your child’s pain is severe enough to interfere with your child's normal activities.
4. Your child’s pain is associated with an injury
5. Your child’s pain is accompanied by other signs or symptoms, such as swelling, redness, tenderness, fever, limping, rash, loss of appetite, weakness or fatigue

Is there anything you can do to help your child when they are in pain from growing pains?

Most doctors have been known to say that there is no specific treatment to help with growing pains. However when I was child my grandmother would do a few things that did sometimes help.. Some of these things are:

• Gently massaging the affected area
• Placing a nice warm heat pack on the affected area
• Alternating Heat and cold packs
• Elevating the affected area (i.e. Leg)
• Stretch out your child's legs like you would for a cramp
• Reassuring your child that it will not last forever in a calm voice

Sometimes in severe cases a doctor may prescribe a mild analgesic, although this is not a recommended course of action.

I hope that this will help some mums and dads out there. Growing pains can be frightening for first time parents as well as seasoned ones. Sadly some kids tend to get them worse than others. As an adult I do still suffer from some occasional cramping in my legs, whether or not this is related to the severe growing pains that I had as a child in not known.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your feedback……….

Cheers Kellz xoxoxo

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