Leg and Foot Pain

You'll think it's silly until you try it. My son went through the exact thing starting about 2 1/2, and his Godmother(I always say to her she's his "Fairy Godmother" cause she's freaking magic!) had me make him a "milkshare" of pureed banana in WHOLE MILK after I sobbed on the phone with her for hours about this very thing.
I sometimes add other fruits and carnation vanilla instant breakfast powder, or Ovaltine to it before blending(I have a magic bullet blender, and it makes whipping up kiddie shakes fast and easy).
It's a recipe for growing pains, and man, does it ever ease his pains. He has one with breakfast, and one for lunch. It's a calcium/potassium punch to growing bones and muscles/tendons/ligaments. You can also make it into a fun smoothie by adding her fave fruits to it. For lunch, you can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to it to make it a special treat. Whenever he starts having pains, I start making milkshakes. I only wish I had known this when my brother was little. His growing pains were so horrible, my mother, father, me, and my sister(two years older than him) all took turns rubbing his legs for weeks on end, then they'd poof for a bit only to return more vicious than ever.
I also found it very good for mommy fatigue too(we need a super duper energy boost too, as SuperMommies like us get Super tired at times from being...well, Super!) I add two scoops Designer Whey protein powder instead of Ovaltine for my shakes. It's also a very healthy energizing meal replacement for when you need to eat, just don't feel like it. It's also a sneaky healthy way to give them something good, and a bonding experience too! My son gets to load his shake cup, I put on the lid and set the blender cup properly, and he pushes it down to make his milkshakes. Add a fun ring around his cup, and he's all ready to go. Loads of fun, and clean-up is a snap!

Try this first...cheaper than a doctor if it is just growing pains. You'll see a difference in two days. Let us know how she's doing!

I don't buy into growing pains. If it was so painful to grow, babies would be screaming non stop- because you do more growing in your first 6 months of life than you do for the entire rest of it. So be skeptical when docotrs tell you that growing causes pain.
My DD started having knee pain at 4. My doc and hubby said it was growing pains. It moved to a hip at 6. Then the other hip.She had inconclusive xrays and bloodwork at 8 . She is now 13 and has spine pain as well. Also in toes and fingers. Every joint of hers POPS. The doctor had the gall to tell me last month that, again, it was growing pains. What a crock. It is a catch all for not knowing why the "symptom" is there. Pain is a symptom of something wrong in the body.

There are many reasons for joint pain. Calcium build up in joints, lack of magnesium, Thyroid disorders, bacterial infections, food allergies, Heavy metal buildup in tissues, the list goes on.

Keep looking for answers. I am currently trying Magnesium therapy to keep calcium deposits down and liquid zeolite to expel metals. Milk might have a role to play in this but I can't get her to give it up. She had severe responses to milk as a toddler but has slowly been able to tolerate it over the years more and more.

A 2 year old should not have this pain. Growing absolutely should not be painful and Tylenol over the long term is bad news for the liver. A good acupuncturist or Dr. of Chinese medicine might be a great help. These people can often identify the cause of the problem insteading of guessing what it might be, like it happening to you on this site. Getting a lot of possible diagnosises is not good for you. It's just plain scary and upsetting.
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in chicago has a great pediatrics clinic that's inexpensive. If you don't get answers that make sense from your pediatrician, consider giving them a try or using them in conjuction with your Dr. This specialty is getting lots of notice lately. Even Northwestern has added it to their offerings.
P

You don't say her age, so...
I would take her to see a foot specialist. It could just be growing pains, or it could be something more.

My sister and brother always complained that their legs hurt at age 14-15y. The dr. said that it was growing pains. They had calcium build up, that was waiting for the growth spurt.

My son -8y- started complaining, we took him in, turns out that he's flat footed and needed shoe inserts to create arches to relieve the pain.

M.

Sounds like growing pains, but it is always safest to check with the doctor. 2 year olds can sometimes injure themselves and not even know when or how they did it!

When I was about 8 years old I kept complaining about a pain in my hip. I ended up on crutches for weeks and in physical therapy. They found that a virus had settled in the hip and was causing the pain and it simply had to run its course.

J.
www.UrbanSuburbanFamily.squarespace.com

stop giving her tylenol until you get it checked out. If she is having pain so she uses it less, then stopping the pain is only going to cause her to injure it more (if thet is even the problem) it could be as simple as she is 2 and is being an actress, in which case you are medicating your child for no reason. I would take her to a chiropractor or doctor to see if there is anything structurally wrong and go from there. She may just be doing it for the tylenol

Hi R., I am a licensed massage therapist and certified in pediatric massage. Ask your pediatrician if he/she agrees that massage might be a great first course of action since it is non-invasive and not scary! Muscular and circulatory issues that cause pain are frequently relieved by soft tissue manipulation. If you can find a massage therapist who is trained in myofascial trigger point therapy (pain management system) that would be even better. Active trigger points frequently refer pain to distant sites which could explain your daughter's request to have her knee and foot rubbed. Good luck! I wish I lived close enough to help!

I agree I'd check with the doctor. Is the pain coming from a joint? (ankle, knee)? if so and the doctor is unsure you may want to ask his/her opinion on a pediatric physical therapy eval (if you feel it maybe joint/ tight muscles).

hope she feels better soon.

Does she spend a lot of time barefoot or in shoes that lack support? My daughter complained of foot and leg pain from an early age. Turns out she had a congenital foot problem that was eventually surgically corrected at age 12. We had consulted 2 podiatrists had orthotics made, went for massage therapy and even saw a specialist at the Illinois Bone & Joint Clinic to rule out arthritis. Even after the correction she still asks for leg rubs if she has worn shoes that have little support. Warm water soaks with epsom salts and stretching exercises are helpful.

I would actually call the pediatrician, not wait for her next appointment. This is definitely not normal and especially if it's hurting to the point where you have to medicate her so often. I'm certainly not saying it's something bad, but I would get it checked out right now. Also I would see if my pediatrician thinks a cbc (complete blood count) is necessary, just to be on the safe side.

could be Osgood-Schlatter disease depending on her age

It could be growing pains, however, I would bring it up with a doctor. If your next check-up is close... bring it up then. Otherwise I would make an appointment.
It is probably nothing serious, but if the pain is string enough to give her pain medicine and it goes on for more than a week or so, I would take her in.