Growing pains are not clearly defined and can vary in severity depending on the child. With growth complete, growing pains disappear on their own.
What are growing pains?
On average, growing pains affect up to 30% of children as they grow. Growing pains can occur in children as they grow. Growth-related pain is most apparent in the limbs and is usually more pronounced during periods of rest (for example, at night or in the evening) than when the affected child is physically active. The upper and lower legs are particularly frequently affected by growing pains; in some cases, the pain manifests itself in joints such as the knee joint. Typically, the growth-related pain in an affected child does not always occur in the same part of the body, but also migrates and changes sides of the body. On average, up to 30% of children are affected by growing pains as they grow. In this context, the pain probably occurs slightly more frequently in girls than in boys.
Causes
In medicine, the exact causes of growing pains occurring in children are still largely unknown. However, growing pains are thought to be related to bone growth, among other factors:
Scientific studies suggest that bone growth in children occurs primarily during periods of physical rest, and that complaints are therefore particularly pronounced during these phases. Other hypotheses suggest that growing pains in children may be caused by poor posture or circulatory disorders, for example. It is also possible that growth pains in children are influenced by heavy physical strain or a fundamental increase in fatigability. However, these assumptions have not yet been conclusively confirmed.
Diseases with this symptom
- Circulatory disorders
- Postural defects
- Restless Legs Syndrome
Diagnosis and course
Since growing pains are not a clearly defined clinical picture, making a clear diagnosis by a treating physician is correspondingly difficult. Frequently, growing pains are diagnosed in the context of a so-called exclusion diagnosis; this means that a child affected by corresponding pain is first examined for various other causes of occurring complaints in order to be able to exclude the presence of these causes. For example, pain that is also characteristic of growing pains may be caused by injuries or various infections. Rheumatic diseases or tissue neoplasms in the limbs can also lead to complaints that resemble growing pains. If necessary, corresponding diseases can be ruled out with the help of blood tests or X-rays, for example. Growing pains can occur in children up to puberty. Typically, growing pains occur in phases and then subside on their own after a possible period of up to about an hour. Growing pains usually show a good prognosis and do not recur after growth is complete.
Complications
Growing pains are not uncommon during puberty. Between the ages of 12 and 16, there may be isolated cases of moderate to severe pain in the bones. After physical activities such as soccer, or an intense long-distance run, this pain may intensify. Growing pains are not a cause for concern. They are a sign that healthy growth is taking place. As a mother or father, there is no need to worry about growing pains. If you want to help yourself, cooling can always help. It is important not to cool the affected area for more than an hour. Excessive sports should also not be practiced too often. The muscles, which are just starting to grow, can be strained too much and then a muscle fiber tear can occur. In most cases, the cause of growing pains is growth hormones. Even though nowadays there are pills to balance these hormones, you should not necessarily interfere with the natural growth process of your own child. In order for the bones to grow quickly and with less pain, the supply of sufficient calcium is necessary.These can be plant as well as animal sources of calcium. If the growing pains have not disappeared overnight and still remain there for days, a pediatrician should be contacted. In this case, it could be something else.
When should you go to the doctor?
Growing pains in children can be a great burden for parents, because they see how their child suffers – and fear that behind it there could be something more serious. For their own peace of mind, it is therefore not wrong to visit the pediatrician the first time they suspect growing pains, or to bring up the observation at the next upcoming checkup. He can clarify whether it is really just growing pains and whether they occur in a normal form. This reassures parents and also puts them in a much better position to respond reassuringly to their children while they are still dealing with growing pains. However, parents must always be aware, even after such an examination, that the complaints occur like typical growing pains. They come on in the late afternoon into the night, and are not felt in the morning until noon. Swelling or redness of the skin has nothing to do with normal growing pains. If such symptoms occur, it is best to see the pediatrician as soon as possible. Because affected children with growing pains so often experience discomfort, parents completely unintentionally sometimes overlook other health problems that also cause pain – just with different symptoms. The pediatrician will also reexamine the affected child if there is any deviation from the normal pain pattern, such as an increase in pain.
Treatment and therapy
Because the causes of growing pains are largely unknown, no causal therapy for the symptoms is possible. However, acute phases of pain can be alleviated with the help of various measures. Which measures are used in individual cases depends above all on the severity of the growing pains. For example, targeted massaging of the painful part of the body can be effective against comparatively mild growing pains; St. John’s wort oil massaged into the skin can have a supporting effect. Heat can also have a positive effect on growing pains. For example, heat bottles or blankets can be used to provide pain-relieving warmth to affected areas of the body. Another way of treating growing pains is to use a red light lamp, which can be used to direct warming infrared light onto painful areas of the body. If a child suffers from very pronounced growing pains, it is also possible, for example, to administer painkillers in acute cases in consultation with a doctor. Experts emphasize the importance of ensuring that the preparation and dose of a pain-relieving medication are suitable for a child’s organism. Also, as a rule, it is not recommended to use pain-relieving drugs for a long period of time.
Outlook and prognosis
Growing pains do not affect every child, but they can be very intense when they do occur. Because they develop as the child grows, they may occur until the child stops growing. However, they often stop earlier and are no longer a problem in the late teens. Parents with affected children should be prepared to deal with problems falling asleep and staying asleep at night during the period of growth. While everything is still fine in the morning and at midday, the first signs of growing pains becoming an issue from late afternoon onwards. It is particularly unpleasant when the little ones have gone to bed pain-free and wake up at night in pain. Unfortunately, though, growing pains occur at precisely these times, which is characteristic of them and says that it is nothing worse. Fortunately, growing pains do not affect children in their healthy development, even though they can cost the little ones some nights of sleep. If sleep becomes a serious problem, as they can’t sleep through the night at all and therefore are tired during the day and can’t manage everyday life, a doctor should be consulted. Otherwise, the growing pains become a hindrance to the children’s school and social life.
Prevention
Because the factors that lead to growing pains are not yet known in medicine, it is usually not possible to prevent the symptoms. However, medical consultations with parents of affected children can point to individual pain-relieving treatment methods. For example, early measures for acute onset of growing pains can counteract an increase in pain.
Here’s what you can do yourself
A number of home remedies and measures help with growing pains. Above all, rest and warmth have proven their worth. A hot bath relieves the discomfort as well as a gentle leg massage with arnica ointment, chamomile, sage or St. John’s wort oil. Stretching exercises also help. The thigh and calf muscles in particular should be regularly loosened and stretched during acute pain attacks, as this stimulates blood circulation and accelerates muscle growth. Homeopathic remedies can also help with growing pains. Effective is for example the globule Guaiacum D6, which should be taken before going to sleep for the best effect. In addition, parents should make sure that the child eats a balanced and healthy diet. Dietary supplements with calcium, magnesium and vitamins C and D can compensate for possible deficiencies and quickly relieve the pain. In severe cases, mild painkillers can be prescribed to help the child get a relaxing night’s rest. However, distraction is most effective for growing pains. When playing or cuddling, the pain is usually quickly forgotten and subsides on its own after a few minutes. Severe growing pains should be discussed with the pediatrician treating the child to be on the safe side.
