Diagnosis
The diagnosis of growth pain is primarily to rule out other diseases. A clear diagnosis of growth pain in the knee cannot be achieved through tests. Instead, diseases such as injuries and infections in the knee must be excluded.
Joint inflammation and arthritis can usually be excluded by blood tests. Bone lesions or tumors become visible in the X-ray image. Injuries to menisci, ligaments or the musculature can often already be excluded by a good anamnesis (questioning of the affected person by the doctor). If the suspicion still exists, imaging by MRI can provide clarity.
Treatment
The treatment of growth pain is exclusively symptomatic. Since an exact cause of the disease has not yet been discovered, no causal therapy can be performed. In addition, the growth pain is harmless and has a good prognosis, which is why a symptomatic therapy should be considered much more sensible.
Therefore, the therapy of growth pain in the knee primarily consists of an adequate administration of painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. Care should be taken to adjust the dose to the child’s body weight. Excessive doses can damage the kidneys and/or liver.
In addition, the painkillers should not be taken more than ten days a month. Otherwise, drug-associated headaches, for example, can occur. Since the growth pains in the knee are often accompanied by rather tense muscles, a heat application in the knee often helps.
However, some children also benefit from cooling the knee. In this case, an additional cooling and pain-relieving ointment such as Voltaren or Docsalbe can be applied to the knee. However, the most important part of the treatment of growth pain in the knee is the correct handling of the disease.
It is therefore essential that parents and children are informed about the harmlessness of growth pain. Although the pain does not indicate a serious illness, it should be taken seriously by parents and doctors. This usually helps the child to cope with the symptoms better.
All articles in this series:
