Growing Pains?? - Palmer Lake,CO

This sounds exactly like the growing pains that my 3 year old and 6 year old have. I've found a drink of water and a light massage on the thigh and knee from mommy helps tremendiously. They wake up sometimes three times a night but this is the thing that has helped the most. You can also give some motrin to help ease the pain. GL! - B.

For my son and me those weird night pains are due to the legs having gotten cold at some point. It really doesn't have to be cold, it's just getting a chill on the leg will give the pain. Once it sets in, there's not a lot we can do for it. We make sure we have enough calcium and potassium and that usually takes care of it. Too much milk can also cause it for me, so I usually just do a supplement. Prenatal vitamins seem to help for me, and my son just does the Flintstones Complete type thing. Could also be growing pains. Our 2 1/2 yo complains his knees hurt all the time, but usually he means leg (we think). It seems to be better sometimes and worse at others. We haven't figured out anything to help him. GL! You can always try heat compresses. Maybe Tylenol or Motrin?

I have a 5 year old son who does that same thing. My relatives that haven't seen him for a while say that he has grown a foot since they last saw him. His legs are growing really fast right now. My older son had the same issues and actually has a lot of stretch marks behind his knees from growing so fast. I just gave them Tylenol and rubbed them. It comes and goes for a while but I do believe that a change in nutrition may help also. Often times people concentrate more on the outside, but what is taken into the body is very important. I got a good multivitamin from the doctor that is very beneficial also.

I don't have any boys, just one girl. But my husband comes from a family of 6 boys and he talks about how they would all get growing pains in the night and go into their parent's room for help. He says their dad would get up and rub/massage their legs for a while, and while they appreciated it, he tells me that they all hoped it would be their mom that would wake up becasue she would just give them some aspirin and go back to bed. Apparently the aspirin was very effective. I don't know what is wise for a three year old, and I don't think this was going on every night, just once in a while, but i am just tossing that out there in case it's helpful.

Good ole growing pains... I had them, my husband had them, my kids have had them and continue too have them but less than I ever did because I discovered something that has been lacking in our diets for so long that it ridiculous!! I had a recent knee injury that has required 2 surgeries and is now requiring more but in the recovery of it all the most important thing I could ever have learned is the importance of CALCIUM om growth of cartilage and bones and when we are growing or healing that the human body can't possible get enough of it. A good calcium supplement may be in order if your son is having so much pain. Our bodies can never get all the calcium we need just from the food and drink we take into our bodies without a supplement. Make sure it has magnesium and vitamin D so that it can be absorbed. Talk to your pharmacist about dosing for young people but its so important for little developing bones. Good luck and good growing!

Hi C.. I agree with some of the other moms here. We all need calcium for almost every cellular reaction in our bodies. We simply can't get enough from food. A good calcium, magnesium, Vit. D supplement will help to relax his muscles, plus calcium and magnesium are natuarally sedating so they are great right before bed to help him sleep (so you can get your sleep!). I have found a great liquid supplement that I give my daughter. It comes in vanilla or chocolate flavor and she asks for it every night. If you want more info, you can email me at ____@____.com luck! I hope you find some resolution quickly.

My husband had this as a child and remembers growth spurts really hurting, especially his legs. My daughter has it now. If it's during the day, we'll massage her leg a little. At night, she's too tired and just wants to go back to sleep so we just give her some tylenol or ibuprofen.

Most likely, it is growing pains. Rub his leg, give him some tylenol or motrin and it will help. They come and go several times. Some kids have a harder time than others. My 9, 7 and 4 year old kids still wake up in the middle of the night with them. My older kids, never had a problem.
Other things we have tried are warm baths, yes even in the middle of the night, warm rice packs on their legs or heating pads..just for a bit.

Good luck

A.

My son is 6 and has growing pains at least 3 times a month. It is always in a differnt place on his legs and sometimes just one and sometimes both. He has been getting them for 3 years now. The doctor also looked and they are just growing pains. I also remember getting them when I was little because they are majorly painful. They also will not walk on their leg I believe more fear of the pain. We stretch his legs and rub them. We also use a heating pad and Motrin. Also have him eat bananas the potasium helps.

I have experienced this same thing with my 5 year old son. We called it growing pains too as my husband says he remembers going through the same thing as a kid. We had been giving him a banana before bed and that seemed to do the trick. We also had to cut back on the bananas though because they can be a mild laxative too. The theory is that a lack of potassium was causing the muscles to cramp at night while he is resting and growing. I have experienced these pains myself while pregnant. I have 4 kids but have only had this problem with one so far. I will say he is my biggest kid and may have extra nutritional needs to meet.

When I read this post I was so releived that we are not the only ones going thru this. My 3 1/2 year old daughter has been going thru the same, I could have wrote the post!! :)
I took her to the chiropractor, he uses an activator so it is unobtrusive and doesn't seem to hurt her. Anyway he told me that kids play so hard that sometimes things get twisted and out of 'whack' and can cause pains in odd places as well as common places. After three visits she has been doing fine for about a week now. Good Luck !

Your poor son! Have you ever thought about taking him in to see a Chiropractor? That sounds like some of the signs of Sciatica...which usually means there is damage to the spinal nerves that go to the legs (which could be caused by sleeping funny, birth trauma, falling, etc...). Most chiropractors will do a free consultation and exam, might be worth it to find out what is going on in his little body.

My little brothers both used to get leg cramps like this in the middle of the night. Try giving your son a banana before bed (the potassium will help prevent the leg cramps). My brothers generally just needed someone to rub their sore leg muscles and the cramp would go away, and they could go back to sleep. Good luck.

Also, my stepdad is a chiropractor. A leg cramp in a small child likely has NOTHING to do with spinal misalignment. Sure, chiropractic is great, but honestly they won't really be able to do much for leg cramps in a growing boy.

My son gets this too, we usually give him a little tylenol or motrin, and then put a heating pad on it. Not an electric one,but a homemade one. Just a washcloth that we sewed up and filled with uncooked rice, that way we just pop it in the microwave till it gets warm, and don;t have to worry about cords or antyhing else. It usually works right away in getting him calmed down and back to sleep

Growing is a normal process and shouldn't hurt our body. IF there is pain, it could be becuase his spine is out of alignment. I would see a chiroprator. My daughter and I used to see Dr. Joe Arvay www.spinegeek.com. He is awesome and family oriented.
Good luck!