Growing pain is part and parcel of the growing phase in
a child’s life. When the child stops growing so will the
growing pain and when adolescence is reached, they
disappear completely. Growing pain can occur between
three to five years or eight to twelve years of age.
Growing pains are usually experienced in the legs
usually in the calves, in the area in front of thighs
and behind the knees. The pain starts either in the
afternoon or night, just before bedtime. The child can
go to bed pain free, but can wake up in the middle of
the night complaining of throbbing pain in the legs. But
the good part is that these pains vanish by morning.
About twenty five to forty percent of the children are
known to experience growing pain.
Growing pains are experienced in the muscle region and
not around the bones or joints. One of the major reasons
of getting growing pains is because of the strenuous
activities of the kids during the day. All the jumping
around, running and climbing make the muscles tired. But
no evidence has been collected which can prove that the
growing pain is caused by bone growth. Growing pains are
also known to be caused by spurt of growth. This happens
because the tendons or the muscles are too tight and do
not synchronize with the growing of the bones. As a
results muscle spasms are caused which last for less
than fifteen minutes. The child usually gets pain in
both the legs and not just one. And usually, growing
pains do not get accompanied with redness, swelling or
fever. The pain should be over by morning and if it is
still persisting after the awakening of the kid, the
problem could be related to something else and more
serious.
If the pain is unbearable, the parent or caretaker
should administer pain relieving medications which are
available over the counter such as ibuprofen or
acetaminophen. Aspirin should not be given to children
as they have a tendency to develop a very serious
illness known as Reye Syndrome. Heating pads can be
placed on the region that is hurting to ease the pain.
Massage can also be given by the parent or the child can
do stretching exercise to help the muscles relax. If the
child develops fever, redness, swelling, tenderness,
limitation in movement, or if the child limps while
walking, the doctor should be approached. Before that
the parent can do a little diagnosis of the intensity of
the pain by feeling around the area and observing the
pain experienced by the child. The pain shouldn’t be so
intense that the child is abstained from normal routine
such as walking, running or playing.
The doctor conducts the diagnosis of exclusion to
understand the problem. According to this diagnosis, it
is not made until all the conditions are checked before
considering growing pains. The doctor studies the
child’s medical history and conducts a physical
examination. In some serious cases, the doctor advices
to go for X-ray or blood test before the final decision
is made.
Children can prevent the growing pains by doing
stretching exercises on a daily basis. The exercise need
not be complex. Even if the pain subsides, the exercise
should be continued so as to keep the tendons and
muscles relaxed and to adjust with the growth spurt.
Fluids, when taken in good quantity, decrease the
cramping. For this reason, the child should be given
tonic water or quinine before going to bed.
