Growing Pains? - San Jose, CA

Dear S.,
My first thought when I read your post is that I remember crying and screaming in agony as a kid over my knees hurting me at night. I was extremely active and it didn't happen every night, but there were nights I just hurt so bad, I thought I was going to die. I remember it vividly. The pain was real. My parents always just tried to comfort me and tell me it was growing pains. I was thinking, "If it hurts this bad, I don't want to grow then. It's not worth it."
I would definitely take your little girl to the pediatrician just to have her checked out to make sure her joints are growing okay. Personally, I wish that back in the day, they had given me some baby Motrin or something because the heating pad and hot water bottle didn't cut it.
If this has gone on for a couple of months, you need to get her checked out. If it is just growing, then she will go through it again at different phases and you'll know what to do.

Best of wishes.

Simple response, what works for my kids is rubbing, microwavable heating pads(the rice ones-you can make easy either sew with fabric or use a new tube-sock and fill with plain rice then tie off the end) and Hylands brand Calms Forte for Kids(Go to www.Hylands.com to find more info, this is homeopathic and natural, I don't like medicines either however I love all their products[hint- the adult Calms Forte is wonderful for the times that your kids are driving you up the wall and they don't make you sleepy]) They like to take them and they dissolve in about 2 seconds, no water needed. If none of that works then go for the Ibuprofen. Hope this helps.

My chiropractor hates hearing "growing pains". He said it shouldn't hurt to grow. I may not quote him exactly but he said our bodies can become misaligned when we have growth spurts. I would recommend a chiropractor, a misalignment could definitely affect her knees.
K.

after a busy day of activites my kids also complain. I would take her serious. All i do ir rub vicks on their legs and that seems to calm the pain.

Please take her to the doctor. You should have it checked out!!! My friends daughter complained of knee pain and it turned out to be bone cancer. I am sure your daughter is fine but to be on the safe side.

Hi, S.. I would advise that you keep an eye on it. My son who is 6 yrs. had the same problem last year when he was 5 yrs. old wherein he would complain that his knees and legs would hurt. I distinctly remembered when he complained that it was hurting and it was winter time then so he was wearing pants and we sort of brushed off his complaint until he started crying that he can't walk. When we finally checked his legs there were big red bumps that spread all over his legs. Long story short, we rushed him to the emergency where he was diagnosed with HSP, he was given morphine for the pain and other stuff. From what the doctor explained the pain is similar to arthritis in children so it could be very painful. I remember that my son complained for weeks about his legs being painful, but we had the same attitude you had that maybe he is just being lazy or wanting to get attention. So just watch out for it. My son is okay now, he only had one relapse so far. Good luck to you and your family. Hope it's nothing serious like with our son.

S.,

My son, who is now 3.5, went through growing pains in his legs several months ago. I called the doctor to make sure that I shouldn't be more concerned, but he didn't have any other symptoms, so we chalked it up to growing pains. Anyway, I found that we just had to suffer through them. It seemed that they were the most painful when he would lay down to rest, so I would lay with him and rub his legs - that made him feel better. I also explained to him that the pains meant that he was growing and that when he woke up, he'd be a little bit taller - he really dug that since he wants to be big like Daddy. :)

Good luck!

Two of my seven grandchildren also complained about pain but it was in their calf/ankle area, not their knees. I remember one night my three year old grandson tossing and turning and when I went in he told me my feet are tired, but my legs won't take a rest. i didn't really understand what he meant but he felt like he had to keep moving his legs. Now I understand that it was probably restless leg syndrome. You never hear about it in kids, but I'm sure that's what he had. also my granddaughter complains about pain in her legs especially after a day of a lot of activity. Like yours, she never complains when she's involved in the activity, but later at night when it's time to go to bed, is when it starts bothering her. Like you, I'm not sure if it's real or not but she does seem to be uncomfortable. What I've done is to give her some aspirin and then, if it's not too late, have her soak in a hot bathtub. I have also gotten her a small hand-held massager that she can use to massage her own legs while she's laying in bed. it seems to help her because now when she has the pain, she just gets the massager and massages away by herself. She's six now and hasn't had any leg pain for about 6 - 8 months so I'm hoping she's outgrown it!

mY DAUGHTER HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM SINCE SHE WAS LITTLE NOW 14 AND STILL GETS THEM. GROWING PAINS WE WERE TOLD. THEY APPEAR TO BE QUITE PAINFUL. I GAVE MY DAUGHTER TYLENOL TO HELP WITH SOME OF THE DISCOMFORT. AS FOR BEING OK WHEN PLAYING THEY NOTHING STOPS THEM FROM PLAYTIME JUST LIKE WHEN THEY ARE REALLY SICK SO YOU TAKE THEM TO THE DR ONLY TO HAVE THEM ACT AS THOUGH THEY ARE SICK AT ALL. THEY GO FROM LETHARGIC TO ENERTGETIC IN SECONDS. IT STILL CANT HURT TO HAVE HER CHECKKED OUT BY HER DR JUST TO CONFIRM THAT IT IS GROWING PAINS.

Have you talked with her pediatrician about the leg pains??? It's very important for you to follow up with her doctor because leg and joint pains can sometimes be signs of something more serious. Give him/her a call and ask about symptoms and follow-up as instructed.

Wow! This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Growing pains. I have suffered those pains in my legs "growing pains" throughout my life. What can I tell you about them that might help.
Mine probably began about the age of 2 possibly younger but that's how old I was when I could communicate the problem. I would wake up crying in the middle of the night with pain down to my bones and my mother would get up and rub BenGay on my legs (that was the big thing 30 years ago). She felt I was too small for medication but I'm not sure how much the BenGay really helped, it seemed that the area she massaged felt better but the pain seemed to just move up or down to the area she wasn't rubbing. It was worse on days when I was very active, playing hide and seek, tag, running or walking alot. My poor mother always knew those would be bad nights for us but she never wanted to take away my childhood and make me sit out. While the others played. She took me to the doctor to check me for arthritis, bloodwork, x-rays, etc and nothing was found. The doctor said it was growing pains I would out grow them, but I never did and every couple of years my father would insist I be tested again and still nothing. At one point around the age of 12 the doctor did prescribe an arthritis medication even though he insisted I did not have arthritis. It helped a little.
Being the kind of person who never wanted to miss out on anything and be looked upon as little miss gloom and doom, as I got older, I would endure and hide the discomfort. In my mid teen years, I found that I could take a small dose of Tylenol and it would take the pain away (either that or the years of enduring the pain gave me a higher pain threshold).
In my early twenties, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalsia.
One day soon after I was researching on the internet to learn more of this newly recognized illness and stumbled upon an article: Fibromyalsia in Children from the book “Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach by Miryam Williamson” at http://users.wildblue.net/wmson/children.htm.
This article was such a revelation! I was finally understanding myself that I wasn’t making this up, I found a sense of peace. Read the article see if the other pieces (lack of stamina, insomnia etc.) and get her the treatment she needs to avoid a lifetime of misunderstanding.
I’m sorry if this is a bleek response, I just wanted to take the time to share my experience. Now here is the positive advice if you will.
Have your daughter tested just to be sure it isn’t something more, better to be safe than sorry. Maybe it is just “good” old-fashioned growing pains. If nothing is found, an age appropriate dose of Tylenol may help (with doctor’s approval). Also I found that if my legs were cold the pain would act up. Sleeping with socks on in the summer maybe even light pajama pants can help.
Best of luck and my prayers to you, let me know how it goes.

My kids have gone through the same thing. If they wake up at night with them I usually give them tylenol or mortin and rub them til they fall back asleep. Sorry after I wrote about the meds I see you don't want to give them medicine, I also soak them in a bath with a Theraputic Mineral bath I got from BeautiControl. I am sure if you look on-line you can find some natrual remedies to ease the pain. GOOD LUCK!!!

I don't have time right now to read all the advice you've gotten, but I wanted to say... Check her SHOES!!! My nine year old goes through this at times (knees, back pain) and it usually means his shoes have worn out or gotten too small. I rotate the inexpensive shoes one season with the expensive shoes the next. Better shoes usually means less pain, and they last a while too. The cheap shoes from Target or Payless last a few months before they wear out, the expensive shoes from Stride Rite last 9-12 months (depending on growth).
Good luck.

My brother suffered from growing pains as a child and so does his daughter. We manage her pain with a product I make in my natural product line: nerve balm. It is beneficial for chronic (arthritis/fibromyalgia) and acute pain (injuries) and helps minimize swelling and bruising. We rub a little on before she goes to bed at night and it keeps her comfortable through the night. By the next morning she's rarin' to go again.

Several of the children in our family also suffer from arthritis due to psoriasis, and this can cause profound pain in a young child. Again, the nerve balm helps calm the pain most of the time, and since it's made with natural products and uses essential oils as the active ingredients there is little risk of allergic reaction.

Take a look at my website: www.mccluckfarms.com to read more.

growing pains or very real. when she is having fun she proably forgets about them just as we do about our own random pains when we are busy. there isn't much you can do, they pass. i remember kids in preschool when i was a teacher getting them. you could give her a heating pad at night on the couch, make her feel like you are listening to her needs and trying to help her feel better...good luck.

I would consult and probably visit the doctor. It could be serious, worth checking out. Not to scare you, but my cousin kept complaining about shoulder pain and my aunt thought she'd slept on it wrong so gave her some asprin and finally went to the doctor as the pain kept up. She had cancer. No need to risk it and wait til it is too late. Worth checking out, especially if it is ongoing. Good luck.

I had "growing pains" and it turned out to not be the case. I was born with a genetic disorder called Stickler Syndrome. It manifests itself usually with cleft palate issues, small nasal bridge, small chin. Later you can develop joint pains and eye problems. Not saying your daughter has Sticklers but if she was born with any health issues such as I listed then you might want her checked out. Some people with Sticklers don't have eye issues or cleft palates. Some only have joint issues its a connective tissue disorder. You can have your daughter tested to see if she has one even without knowing which one to test for. You would need to see a Geneticist to have the tests done sometimes you can get a diagnosis just by being looked at in the office. That's what happened with me with I was 5 1/2 months pregnant with my now 16 yr old daughter. I hope I haven't scared you with too much information but sometimes doctors like to say its growing pains when they can't identify what's the cause. The most important thing to know is even if your daughter has Sticklers or something else we live a full life, I'm going to be 41 in October.

I agree to get it checked out and I would add, massage, massage, massage. No matter what it turns out to be massage is beneficial on so many levels.

If you can... take her in to see an orthopaedic doctor to do some x-rays that way you will know if there is a problem or not. Sounds like to me she is just doing it for attention or to get out of doing things that she might not like to do. If it was a real or serious condition then it would also bother her when she was able to go do fun things too.

Probably just growing pains, but I'd mention it at her three-year-old check-up with your Pediatrician/Family Doc. She's right at the age where JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) symptoms start to show themselves, and, while you shouldn't be alarmed, it'd be good to rule that out with some simple bloodwork.
K. in EC

I would say take her to a doctor and very soon...This happened to a cousin's daughter, and just let me say it was a good thing they took her...She was older, but be safe and have her thoroughly examined...Please!

I don't mean to worry you anymore that you already are - but definitely take her to the doctor, to err on the side of caution. You want to rule out Rheumatoid Arthritis. It can happen to small children, sometimes it goes away as they grow, but there are side effects that can be lasting.

Blessings to you,
G.

Hi there! It sounds like my 6 yr. old boys (the legs) I just massage his legs and it seems to help. Good Luck!
C.

Both my children get growing pains. I remember having knee aches as well as a young child. We go with one chewable tylenol which our pediatrician says is very very very safe for kids. It's a half dose for my 6 and 7 year olds and not lots of hassle. Maybe it's just psychological but they say it helps.... better than carrying her.

My daughter Amanda has had these for the past 2 years. The doctor said that it is just typical growing pains, but I do notice that, on her more active days is when they seem to bother her the most. I shop with a health and wellness company every month, so I always have these things in stock, but this is what has helped her:
Banana's - potassium will help
Drink electrolyte's - at least one glass a day (I use ours, it doesn’t have as much sugar as Gatorade)
Massage the area with a muscle pain reliever - like Icy Hot, Bengay etc. (again, I use my own)
Raise her legs on a pillow as she first fails asleep or when she is lying down.

This helped her sooo much! Use the banana's and the electrolytes as preventative, but when they do come rub the pain reliever and just massage it into the area good - (you can feel how tight the muscle is) and then raise her legs so they are above her heart and just give her some hugging and loving and let her know you love her - that will help more than anything!

Good Luck!
M.