11 Year Old Son Complains of Sharp Pains.

Find a chiropractor that will give you a discount. Sounds like growing pains to me and I have helped many kids with these same symptoms. Make sure he is drinking lots of water and taking a GOOD multivitamin...not just walgreens brand. Stretching should become a daily routine for him. Cold pack or heat pack...which ever makes him comfortable. Maybe some Biofreeze? Eat healthy. Good luck, Dr. L. (chiropractor in milwaukee)

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Growing pains is usually a mineral deficiency. Potassium and magnesium are the usual culprits. Sometimes microminerals (like selenium) are the problem.

Keep a food journal and pains journal. Get a well-balanced mineral supplement. If a mineral deficiency is the problem, the right food and/or supplement is an almost instant fix. Some people get relief in 15 minutes. If the pains aren't gone within a day or two, mineral deficiency is not the problem.

Epsom salt baths can also help. It's a skin-delivered source of magnesium, and the hot water is also good.

Good luck. Hope he feels better soon!

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It really sounds like growing pains.
Typically they happen in long bone areas in arms and legs.
My son shot up 4 inches when he was 4, 6 and 8 and every year he had such rapid growth he had horrible growing pains.
He would wake up crying in the night.
We tried Tylenol, Aspercream, warm bathes, heating pads, massage, vitamins, more exercise, less exercise - sometimes they worked and sometimes nothing worked.
He's 12 now and we're expecting him to shoot up again and a lot of his friends are getting a teenage growth spurt right about now.
Middle school is full of kids with aches and pains.
It's awful when they are going through it, but once the growth spurt finishes up the pains go away.
I'd get ready to replace his wardrobe soon.

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Hmmm. I'm wondering about growing pains.
Trust me, they are very real.
I remember hurting so badly that I cried my head off. It was especially bad in my legs.
My mom thought I was just being dramatic, but my dad had had them too as a kid and he would rub my legs and arms or whatever was hurting.
I hurt so bad I cried uncontrollably because I couldn't escape the pain.
I was scared to death.
The weird thing about it is that nothing shows up as abnormal during a medical exam. Even x-rays, in my case. But, the pain was very, very real.
My kids didn't have it to the extent I did, but they both went through it.
I remembered my dad rubbing my bones and talking gently to me and putting a heating pad on me and that's what I did for my kids.
They completely outgrew it, just as I did.
But, it does really hurt.

Try calming techniques, tylenol, and rubbing the areas that hurt.
Follow up with the pediatrician to rule anything else out.

Best wishes.

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Have you ever checked into Lymes disease? A friend of mine just found out her daughter (teenager) has it which would explain pains in her shoulder, and other pains and sleepiness.

Just a thought.

Hi T.,

Have you talked to the doctor about growing pains?? Does he eat bananas or things with potassium in? I would start there and see if that helps, if not---go back to the doctor until you get the answers you are looking for. I hope he feels better!!!

M

Maybe fibromyalgia? My older sis has it and complains of similiar symptoms. I don't remember growing pains being a real issue for any of us (age range 17-37). Call some free clinics and/or family services in your state b/c in Missouri if your child doesn't have insurance and it's unavailable they usually help. So it's worth a shot.

Hi T.,
Since you don't have insurance you should check into getting public assistance for your children. You don't have to get on it but they need access to a doctor. Like the the other posters I am leaning towards growing pains.

How long does the pain last for? When you say the pain is constant, do you mean it never goes away? He has pain all the time? How long has this been going on for? Did he have pain when he had his physical 7 months ago?
When did he start having pain?

If the pain comes and goes, then I'd say maybe growing pains, because I know some people who had severe growing pains. But their pain was not all the time.

Otherwise, if the pain is chronic, never goes away, maybe you could have him tested for Lyme. That's all I can think of right now.

Sounds like growing pains to me. I had them around the same age bad enough to make me cry sometimes, too. My 10 year old daughter & 12 year old son are both going through it now. It's usually localized to their legs, but my son has said his shoulders & arms have been affected also.

When my brother was younger he would get growing pains. And they were pretty bad. I remember my dad put linemint (not sure if that spelled right) oil on his arms and legs and that would seem to help. I know if my kids get them that would nbe the first thing I would try! Hope this helps!

I would say growing pains but if ut were my son we would be at the doc until I had a answer. Good luck mama!

It could be growing pains. Yes they are real. My son started 8th grade with the top of his head barely touching my chin--- and ended 8th grade with me barely touching his chin. He grew almost 12 inches in 8-9 months. What is happening is the leg bones are growing to fast and the muscles have to stretch to keep up.
Have him take hot baths and use a heating pad. Massaging the muscles that are sore will help also.

I had the same symptoms as a child - very painful. When my son complained of the same symptoms I put geranium essential oil on the painful area. He said the pain went away right away.

sounds like growing pains...they ARE real!!!

Give him Tylenol or Advil when he feels it coming on.

I'm not big and just handing out pain killers, but maybe some advil. I think that growing pains is probably right.
***Try to find some connection. Does it mostly happen at night? Does it happen when sits for a while? Is he in sports? Are his feet cold when his legs hurt? I know that may sound weird, but it took me 3 years of staying at my best friend house on the weekends and always getting leg cramps to realize that she has hard wood floors with a crawl space underneath. Every night I stayed the night, My feet would get cold, which didn't bother me. But about half an hour later, my legs would hurt badly.
Take a couple of times a day and have his stretch his whole body.

These sound like growing pains. Most often in the places where your son is having pain. I had them at that age, and I am a very tall women now ( 6'0''). My mother used to give me Ibuprofen, tylenol, and heat/cold packs. They can be very severe, and very uncomfortable( particularly at night). I also tried stretches before bed, and in the morning.

Hello, they say that if pain occurs at night then you need to have him checked out again and do it soon. You're not sure if they're growing pains either, which means you have to take him to the hospital. He needs to be tested.
Apply for insurance for children: Child health Care Plus. It's inexpensive and your son will get covered.
Hope it turns out well. Let us know what the diagnosis is.

Most if not all states should have health care for kids if the parents can't afford it. Please get it. In WI we have Badgercare. I thought it is called CHIPS. Then get him checked for lyme disease from an actual Lyme disease specialist not just a internist or family practice. You can watch "under our skin" (in libraries, netflix etc ) to know why. I know 5 people in our neighborhood that have it and has many symptoms including pain. It might not be but Lyme disease but it is much more common than most doctors would have you believe.
I hope it is just growing pains but best not to let it be dismissed as nothing. Hope all goes well for you and your son!
M.

Please, please, please take him to the doctor and have him checked out to make sure it isn't anything serious. Explain this specific problem and see if you can get a full blood panel for him.

Is there some kind of Child Health Plus type plan where you live? They have something like that here in NY for parents that can't afford health care for their kids.

Check with the dr. It could be something as simple as growing pains.
I hear it can be pretty painful for some

I'm going with growing pains as well, I used to have them. My mom would give me a baby aspirin (back in the day when aspirin was still legal) and have me lay on the cool kitchen floor, it seemed to help.
I'd say when he's having the pain give him a vigorous leg massage, maybe with some mineral ice or some other muscle pain cream. He'll most likely grow out of this fairly soon.

make sure he is drinking water. if the pain gets bad have him take a tylenol and soak in the tub,

You might be able to get health insurance for your child through the state. Have you looked into it?