When a child has on going pain in their legs & no medical cause can be found it will often be called "Growing Pains". Usually this pain is in the lower leg muscles but can be in the arms and sometimes children describe it as being in the bones.
How can I tell whether the pain is growing pains or is something else?
If you are in any doubt as to whether the pain maybe something else please take your child to a health professional for a diagnosis. However in general growing pains :
are achey pain usually mild but can be much stronger
are located in both legs or both arms
are in the muscles rather than the joints
may occur at night or later in the day
aren't usually there first thing in the morning
It is often important to look at this another way to see if there are any of the following;
Inflammation (heat, redness, swelling)
Joint pain
Broken skin/cut
Recent fall or an accident
Limping
Fever or other signs of illness
If there are then it is likely that this isn't growing pains and you should take your doctor to see a registered health professional
Who gets growing pains & what age do they occur
One study into growing pains showed that between 3% and 49% of children had them. Seems a bit of a wide range & not that helpful! Lots of children are brought to me to treat growing pains so my view of it will not be accurate for all children - of the children I treat approximately 20% will present with growing pains or will report having them in the past.
Who gets them, both girls & boys, but more girls seem to present with them than boys. What age - never seen it below the age of 3 & never later than 16 years, usually its the 3 - 5 age group & the 8 - 12 year age group.
What causes growing pains?
There are a few theories about growing pain but nothing with any research behind it. One theory is that it is because the muscles and bones grow at different rates & that causes a tension which causes the pain. There is no evidence to support this theory and I believe the truth is probably more complex than this. However I do believe that the answer is based in the growth pattern of the body rather than faulty posture or repetitive strain etc. Backing this up is the fact that osteopathic treatment of the leg & arm muscles, bones & joints is extremely effective in eliminating the pains.
How is it treated ?
Child Paracetamol (Pamol) can be given for the pain but most parents are reluctant to give their children pain killers on an on-going basis.
Gently massaging or rubbing your child's legs can help & a parent should try this as a first up treatment to see if it gives any relief
If the pain is on-going, that is more than a week, then the best treatment can often be manual therapy such as osteopathy, and it's a good idea to ensure that the practitioner is experienced in treating children especially if the child is 5 or under. Unlike with an adult the practitioner must not expect co-operation from their patient. Instead that co-operation must be earned by making the child feel welcomed, safe & usually also entertained!
We have treated a lot of children with this problem and also have had a lot of success relieving their pain. Although it does tend to reoccur when the child hits another growth spurt but commonly ww can help relieve it for anywhere between 6 weeks to several months
If you would like to know more about how we treat growing pains or would like to book your child in for an appointment give us a call,email us ([email protected]) or book online by using the link on this page Gold Coast Osteopath Home Page
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.