20 Month Old with Pain in Foot or Leg

Yes! Please follow up with the rheumatologist. Also when he gets like this, try giving him a warm bath and let him just play for a little bit. After the bath, lotion his little body up if he'll let you and give him a little massage. That may help decrease the pain just a little bit. (I'm 23 and have arthritis throughout my whole body and this is what I have to do A LOT)

If it is some sort of arthritis, the heat will definitely help the little guy. I'm not sure exactly what it could be, but i hope that they'll be able to help you figure it out very soon!

definitely follow up on the rheumatologist! As the parent of a son with osteo disabilities, it's very important to do as much research/testing/exams as possible.....to rule out issues.

One question: xrays only show just so much. Has your dr considered an MRI to check out the rest?

Good Luck & push for answers!

My son would walke up in the middle of the night with pain in his leg at age 3-5 and we brought him to a specialist who continued to say it was "growing pains" and he would just grow out of it. He gave him orthodics and it didn't help, but we kept going back to the orthopedic specialist because that is all we knew.

We eventually went to a chiropractor who said my son was mis-aligned and adjusted him and that was the day my son's pain stopped. He gets adjusted once a month and if he takes a hard fall at school. I've been told he has loose joints and in time will get better, but for now, going to the chiropractor has been a the best thing for my son.

If your son has a pinched nerve, the chiropractor can fix it.

Good luck!

Hi DT,

What testing did your pediatrician do? At a minimum, check to make sure he tested for RF (rheumatoid factor), ANA (antinuclear antibody), sedimentation rate, and CRP (C-reactive protein). The swelling is an important clue to the possibility of arthritis -- especially if it's more in the toes. Does he get any pain and swelling in his fingers, too? This can also be an important clue for diagnosis. I don't understand why it may be months before you can see a pediatric rheumatologist: there are at least 1/2 dozen close to Newport Beach, and more in the L.A. area. Children's Hospital of Los Angeles also has one of the top pediatric rheumatology departments in the country. If your son does have JRA (and I hope he doesn't!), then he should be seen and treated ASAP. If the blood testing is suggestive of this, then perhaps you can get an expedited appointment.

Because you can see swelling in the foot, a nerve-related issue is less likely. If the rheumatology consult doesn't turn anything up, however, consultations with a neurologist and an orthopedist could be helpful. You might also want to consult a podiatrist.

My son was misdiagnosed with JRA by a family doctor at about the same age. We treated him for arthritis for years, and finally took him into a rheumatologist, who said that he never had JRA and actually has loose joints. We are now treating him for that and he is reasonably pain free for the first time in years. Definitely follow up with a rheumatologist. Arthritis should show up in blood work and he may be able to offer other solutions if that ends up not being the cause of your son's issues.