Duration and prognosis of growing pains in the foot
The individual pain attacks usually last only for a few minutes to hours and usually occur at night. However, the growth pain in the foot can occur very regularly over several weeks to months. Recurring attacks over several years can also occur.The prognosis for growth pain in the foot is very positive. In most cases, the pain disappears completely when the child is (almost) fully grown. In order to prevent a chronification of the pain, which usually has an additional psychological component, the complaints and pain of the affected children should be taken seriously at all times.
Treatment of growth pains in the foot
Since the causes of the growth pain in the foot have not yet been clarified, a causal therapy is currently not possible. Instead, only the symptoms can be treated. The pain can be temporarily treated with painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
However, a permanent therapy with painkillers is not advisable at all. The drugs should be taken on a maximum of ten days a month, and in addition, the maximum daily dose should be observed. This is based on the body weight of the children.
If these limits are not observed, the painkillers can cause permanent damage to the children’s liver and/or kidneys. In the long term, the best therapy for growing pains in the foot consists in a detailed education of parents and children about the harmlessness of the pain. In this way many fears associated with recurring foot pain can be reduced.
In most cases, this also improves the symptoms of the affected children. During an acute attack of pain it is usually helpful to provide the affected area with a warming cushion. This leads to a relaxation of the muscles and thus reduces the pain.
A massage can also relieve the tension and thus ease the pain. It is also important that the child’s complaints are taken seriously by parents and treating physicians. In the case of acute pain, only good persuasion and taking the pain seriously can already reduce the symptoms.
