Growing pains

I also suffered with terrible pains when I was about 5. My grandfather always told me that it's only growing pains & it will go away

I've read about Restless Leg Syndrome a while ago, very interesting.

thanks Rakker and momtoc!

Missy is 2 and a half, but a very active child. Lately she either wants to be on my lap (but I thought this was because of her 15 month old brother) but it makes sense reading up now that the child actually likes to be cuddled. At other times, she tries to stretch out, actually tells me she is stretching, and then you cant be too close to her.

She has also previosuly complained that behind her knees is sore, and reading up, I see that is common!

Also, I remember having terrible growing pains myself as a child! And they say it is inherited. Sorry, Missy!

While reading up on growing pains, I've come across articles about Restless Leg Syndrome, also very interesting. RLS is very much related to low iron levels, something Sarah has suffred with since 6 months, and almost reached a point of iv iron treatment a few weeks ago!

Kind of all makes sense now... I just thought she was a bit young...?

Auntie Carrie - I am hoping the Kiddy Calm is going to help!

Hi there MommyN..... How old is your lo? My daughter is almost 4 1/2 now & she started complaining about pains in her legs & feet last year - when she was still 3. She would complain when she got home from creche & especially at night when she goes to bed. She would be so restless & kick her legs the whole time. I also immediately thought that it might be growing pains or it's because she is so active. She is forever running & jumping. When I read up on it, I realised these two go hand in hand (growing pains & the running & jumping).

We massage her legs with arnica massage oil or just normal cream & it helps a bit. I'm not sure what tissue salts you can use but I'm sure there must be something out there.

Here is an article FYI :

Growing pains generally strike during two periods: in early childhood among 3- to 5-year-olds and, later, in 8- to 12-year-olds.

What Causes Them?

No firm evidence shows that the growth of bones causes pain. The most likely causes are the aches and discomforts resulting from the jumping, climbing, and running that active kids do during the day. The pains can occur after a child has had a particularly athletic day.

Signs and Symptoms

Growing pains always concentrate in the muscles, rather than the joints. Most kids report pains in the front of their thighs, in the calves, or behind the knees. Whereas joints affected by more serious diseases are swollen, red, tender, or warm, the joints of kids experiencing growing pains appear normal.

Although growing pains often strike in late afternoon or early evening before bed, pain can sometimes wake a sleeping child. The intensity of the pain varies from child to child, and most kids don't experience the pains every day.

Diagnosing Growing Pains

One symptom that doctors find most helpful in making a diagnosis of growing pains is how the child responds to touch while in pain. Kids who have pain from a serious medical disease don't like to be handled because movement tends to increase the pain. But those with growing pains respond differently — they feel better when they're held, massaged, and cuddled.

Growing pains 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 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.

Helping Your Child

•massaging the area
•stretching
•placing a heating pad on the area
•giving ibuprofen or acetaminophen (Never give aspirin to a child under 12 due to its association with Reye syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal disease.)


Hope this answers your questions?

From www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan...at-are-growing-pains:

Nobody knows why they happen. But one thing is clear: they have nothing to do with growth. Children grow maximally as babies or during adolescence, but these are not times when you get growing pains. "It's a total misnomer," says Foster. "The term has stuck because it is just easier to remember than its medical name, 'benign idiopathic nocturnal limb pains of childhood'. Growing pains is really just a label covering all sorts of uncertainties."

Doctors do know that the pains are not linked to dietary deficiency or growth problems. They seem more common in active children, and children with hypermobile joints. And they tend to run in families.

The pains usually affect healthy children between the ages of three and 13, and they always happen at night – never at the start of the day, after waking. They are intense and crampy, affecting both legs symmetrically (though not always at the same time), usually the calf, shins or ankles, and are not limited to the joints. But they will not cause the child to limp.

hmmm? what exactly are growing pains? I know the term, but I mean scientifically? Magnesium is a natual anti-inflammatory and muscle relaxant, so it would depend if growing pains are related to this or not.

At what age would "growing pains" start?

We're having a terrible time with Missy, sleeping, pushing boundaries, not wearing clothes etc, but last night she was complaining that "her legs are eina".

Could it be "growing pains"?

What can I give her? Is there an immediate rememdy to give her at the time, or something long term? Possibly a tissue salt or mineral? We have started Kiddy Calm which is magnesium sulphate.