Has your child every complained of leg pain at night or soreness behind the knees in the late afternoon? There is a chance that they may be experiencing growing pains. Children who are active and go through rapid growth periods can be more susceptible to getting pains in their lower limbs.
Whether it be toddlers or active school aged kids, Inspire Podiatrist’s are the north Brisbane child podiatrist of choice. We are experts in managing and treating your kid's feet. If you are concerned your child has pains at night in their legs, thighs, or feet, we can easily assess their foot posture and give you advice on how to best manage them.
What are growing pains?
In children they present as pains in the legs, thighs or behind the knee. Sometimes they can be associated with headaches and tummy pain in kids. Fortunately, they don’t cause other problems. Inspire podiatrists are familiar with treating and managing any lower limb pain in children. We can assure you that growing pains do not affect your child’s growth. It is important though, to see an expert in children’s lower limb function, such as us, so we can be sure there aren’t any hidden medical concerns that have been missed. We will explain your child’s leg pain.
What can you do to help treat your child’s growth pain?
There are no clear documented suggestions for growing pains. In our experience as expert child podiatrists, we find that many children get relief from
1. a heat pack
2. gentle massage and reassurance
3. It is possible to be guided by your child pharmacist for pain relief such as Panadol or Ibuprofen (an anti-inflammatory). This can often assist them to fall asleep and stay asleep, which is a wish that every parent has!
What is a common age to get growing pains in children?
Documented studies state that most children are affected by growing pains between the ages of 3-5 years and 8-11 years. The cause of growth pain is unknown. In the child podiatry world it is often debated. We believe as a child has a period of rapid growth, the muscles can become a little more taught. If your child is very active in the day running, skipping and jumping, this may cause increased impact on the musculo-skeletal system and, overuse occurs. This results in growth pain once the child finally stops at the end of a day.
Inspire podiatrists want to rule out the red flags as there can be other medical conditions that are missed if a complete history is not taken. We will take the time to listen to your child’s symptoms and examine their lower limb alignment
If your child still has pain present in the morning, they may have Sever’s disease not growth pain. If your child has swelling in their joints, then they may need x-rays and blood tests to rule out juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Your child should never limp with growing pains, if they are contact inspire podiatry today, so we can assist with your child to treat their pain.
Is your child experiencing any of these foot pains?
- Heel Pain/ Sever's Disease
- Painful flat feet or ankles in Children
- Kids Growing Pains
- Intoeing & Toe-walking in Children
- Ingrown Toenails
- Hypermobile Joints/ Lax ligaments
- Kids knee pain