Daughter with Sore Knees.

I would have to say from experience that it is growing pains. My 7 yr old used to get these and it would b at night and he would tell me in his legs by his Knees too. I would give him some Motrin to help with the pain. Hope that helps!

A. Haskin
www.workshopsbyamy.com

M.,
My daughter is also 3 1/2 and has similar pains behind the knee caps. She will complain for a few days, and then she won't bring it again for a while... I was told that it was
Growing Pains.

Hope this helps!
C.

What about growing pains?

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/general/aches/growing_pa...

I had those pains too myself when I was young. I remember waking at night complaining of the same thing, my knees & sometimes whole leg would hurt enough to wake me. My mom would come in and rub them until they felt better and then I'd fall back alseep. My doctor said the same thing, it was growing pains. It's funny because my mom and I were talking about it the other day and she said that one thing she did to prevent it after it became apparent that it had a lot to do with how I played, was, she bought me better quality "gym shoes" to wear on a regular basis, which gave me better support on my joints.
Hope this helps.

M.,

I am a 46 yo mother of 3 girls and gramdmother of 3 girls as well, I happen to know from a lot of experience that those knee pains (usually behind the knee cap) are actually growing pains. My kids all had them and my 2 oldest grandaughters have them as well. They are real and very painful. Usually they can be eased by rubbing the legs behind the knee but tylenol/motrin works longer and is less stressful to you. I have confirmed the growing pain thing with my ped and he said they are very real. Good luck ...D. S. Elgin

HI,
My daughter does the same thing and is the same age. I also think it is growing pains. I remember how much they hurt myself. I encourage her to drink more water though because she doesn't get enough in a day. That does seem to help, they also say bananas decrease cramping. Tylenol seems to really help my daughter because it takes a while before she calms down from it. I don't think there is anyway to avoid it though. Good luck!

Hi M.,

One thing you can look at is her feet. Does she have flat feet or when she stands or walks do her inside ankles/feet hyperpronate in? She may need orthotics. This could give her knee pain. A chiropractor could evaluate her and order orthotics if needed. Also, look at how she sits. Does she kneel alot or sit with one foot under her butt? This would also put strain on the knees and cause pain over time.
N.

OH MY GOODNESS I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE BUT I HAVE TWINS THAT SOME DAYS THEY STOP WALKING BECAUSE THEY LEGS STARTS TO HURT BUT WHATS SO FUNNY WHEN ONE HURTS THE OTHER FOLLLOWS BUT I HATE TO TELL YOU WHAT THE DOCTOR SAID (GROWING PAINS) I HATE THIS WHEN IT HAPPENS BECAUSE THEY ARE IN SO MUCH PAIN I JUST RUB THERE LEGS WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF BENGAY AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. I YOU FIND A CURE PLEASE LET ME KNOW

MOTHER OF TWIN GIRLS BLESSED TO HAVE MADE SIX THIS YEAR AND 14 DAUGHTER AND 12 SON

take her to her pediatrician. Get an opinion- that is what they are there for.

From reading the other responses, I see that growing pains can appear in children younger than I had thought. Although I believe in chiropracty IF the doctor is good, I would first consult a pediatrician or orthopaedic doctor. Also, my friend's 3-yr-old daughter has juvenile arthritis, but she has many more symptoms than you are seeing in your daughter. Explore all options, even though it might simply be growing pains.
Amy

Has she been evaluated for Juvenile Rhuematoid Arthritis?? I would take her to a Pediatric Chiropractor for an evaluation and if she / he cannot find any biomechanical abnormalities with the knees, feet or pelvis, then you may want to take her to your peds doc and rule the RA out. My girlfriends daughter developed juvenile RA at 2 yo and it started with knee pain. Something to think about. Check www.icpa4kids.org to find a certified pediatric chiropractor near you.
T.

M.,

My middle little guy has the same issue with his knees and I've brought it up with his pediatrician and the family practitioner, both of whom I trust. They are sure in my case that it is growing pains. I would definitely get it checked out to rule out something more serious. Get that weight off your shoulders.

That being said, if it is truly growing pains as in our case...we can use tylenol or motrin but I tend to start with massage and a heat pack that I made with a lot of rice in a flanel double lined rectangle that lays flat across both his knees. It is made just for him in material that he likes and can be warmed in the microwave until warm to the touch but not too hot. It cools slowly but isn't the burn risk or potential strangulation risk that a traditional heating pad poses to a small child at night. If the pains are especially bad, I go with the motrin and massage so he can sleep peacefully through the night and so can we. =) I hope this helps, HeatherL

i used to have something like that when i was little...my cartilidge in my knees was not growing as fast as the rest of my bones, and tissues...it was sort of painful, but just mostly uncomfortable, and felt like a constant charlie horse. I don't know if kids can get arthritis, but i would suggest talking to the dr. Ask if tylenol or motrin would help and be ok to give for that as well, my dr. used to tell me to take a little bit when it got really bad. Good luck and I hope the poor girl gets some relief.

If it is not caused by an activity that she is doing it is probably an autoimmune response to something. That means, a food allergy, a vitamin deficiency, or other type of sensitivity. Start by keeping track of all her habits that may be putting pressure on her knees during the day, such as how she climbs, does she drop to her knees suddenly when she is excited about playing with a toy or pet? Give her warm baths with a small amount of Epsom Salts...not too much she is little, half of the adult recommendation at most. Then get her into a doctor to have some kind of scan-X ray, ultra sound, MRI, whatever she/he orders. This is important. They may not find anything, but it should be done regularly until she is not having the problem. My sister cried with knee pains for six months as a child. She used a heating pad for relief. When my parents finally got worried enough to take her in, she had a tumor protruding out of the side of her knee cap and needed surgery.She has had an ugly scar all her life. Not everything is someone's fault, sometimes we just need extraordinary care. Don't panic, because you will figure it out, you know her best. XO L.

Have you asked a pediatrician about it?? To rule out things like juvenile arthritis and such. My niece had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and it started with her complaining about her ankles. She would complain about it starting at age 2.5 or 3 (I can't really remember exactly), but after complaining about it for a year and the doctors brushing it off, my sister changed her doctor and the new doctor group immediately said something was not right about it and did testing to find it was mild-moderate juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. She was given medicine to keep it under control and relieve the pain. Now she is 7 and in complete remission. Not to say that's what it is or anything, but that was the experience of my niece and if YOU really feel something is wrong, I'd ask a pediatrician, find one that will give you a clear answer. Best wishes to you and congrats on the baby girl you are expecting too.

I do not want to freak you out but I want you to get the help for her that is necessary. Best case scenerio, it IS in fact growing pains or something minor that she will grow out of. Worst case scenerio I don''t want to say. My friend's 3 yr. old also had pains at night like that and it didn't really go away. In the end they found out it was cancer of the soft muscles. He is now undergoing treatment and we'll see if he pulls through. It is very tough. I don't want to scare you but please please have a blood test done and make sure the pediatrician takes a look at her to rule out anything horrible. G-d willing it is nothing but just be safe instead of sorry. May G-d watch over her and heal her from the pain very very quickly.

If I were you I would take her to MD, I never heard something like that and I don't want you to panic but it can be a sign or not for other things.

My twin boys used to do this a lot too, and I was sure it was growing pains. I used bandaids! That's right, I kept a box of bandaids in my bedside table and whenever it happened I would coo and rock them and then lovingly apply a bandaid. I would tell them it might still hurt a bit, but that the bandaid would help. Worked every time.

Good luck,
M.

Maybe she's not getting enough iron or something...that causes a restless leg feeling

I remember having sore knees when I was young. Not 3.5 , but not much later. I continued having those knee pains, more aches, until about junior high. My Mom told me that they were growing pains and the would soon go away. I know this was true. If you have never had them, they are aches that are bothersome and they cannot be relaxed. It helps to rub on them while they are achy, but for the most part they are just annoying. I would rub on your babies knees and tell her that she is getting to be a big girl. Next time you are at the doctor, I would mention it. Overall, not to worry Mom. This too will pass!

Hi M.! My middle child, who is 8 now use to have this too and it started about the time your daughters did too. I am sure it is growing pains. You know what I did. First, I am a labor doula, so I am trained in massage for pain management. I would massage them. I also gave her childrens Ibuprophen or motrin and after a few minutes it helped. She would do this on and off too and sometimes would go a month or more without having it. But, it usually woke her up at night too.

S. Bailey CLD
Aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com