Children's Feet & Growing Pains
What Are Growing Pains?
Has your child been complaining about seemingly random pain in their legs? If so, they may be experiencing a phenomenon known as growing pains.
Growing pains are common among children aged 3-12. Those who experience growing pains describe them as a throbbing, aching or cramp-like sensation in the muscles of the legs. Typically, both legs are involved, and the pain is focused in the muscle and not the joint. They are harmless and should not cause alarm.
Growing pains are most often experienced in the evening or at night but the sensation fades by morning. The cause of growing pains is poorly understood. Despite their name, growing pains are not associated with bone growth.
If you are wondering ‘how do you get rid of growing pains?’, growing pains can be reduced with gentle massage. Some sufferers find using heat, via a hot water bottle or heat packs, helpful. Alternatively, a warm bath can help. The use of over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol is recommended.
You should consider booking an appointment with us to get your child checked over if:
- The pain is severe and persistent
- The pain only affects one leg
- The pain is present during the day
- Your child has a loss of appetite, fever or a rash
- The pain affects the joints
- The pain is accompanied by other symptoms such as swelling, redness or fever
- If the pain is causing your child to limp
Signs Your Child is Experiencing Growing Pains
Growing pains usually impact both legs and consist of aching, throbbing or cramps in the legs. It is felt in the muscles rather than the joints. Typically, it is felt in the front of the thighs, behind the knee or in the calves.
The phenomenon is felt during the evening or night and it subsides during the morning. The pain can be intense and may even wake up a sleeping child. However, if the child is typically well, they may experience days with no growing pains.
Growing pain symptoms vary in duration. They may occur for just a few minutes or last for several hours. They are often intermittent, coming and going over months or even years. Strangely, typically children who experience growing pains are otherwise healthy, developing normally and can participate in regular day to day activities.
You may become aware of your child experiencing growing pains through verbal or non-verbal communication. For older children, they will most likely be able to tell you they are experiencing pain verbally. When it comes to growing pains in preschoolers, you might notice them being more fussy in the evening, showing signs of pain or being difficult to settle at bedtime.
Diagnosing Growing Pains.
To diagnose growing pains, you will need to bring your child to us for assessment. Given that the cause of growing pains is still unknown, growing pains is a label used when all other possible causes are excluded. To do this, we will discuss all of your child’s symptoms, provide a detailed medical history and perform a physical exam.
Most of the time, specific lab tests or X-rays are not required if the symptoms of growing pains are typical. However, if symptoms are atypical, blood tests and X-rays may be ordered to rule out serious diseases, injuries or inflammatory arthritis.
We will look out for bilateral leg pain that happens in the evening or night and is gone by morning. There should be no limping during the daytime or pain during physical activity. We will rule out whether there are other explanations for the symptoms before giving growing pains as a diagnosis.
Typical Symptoms of Growing Pains
- Symmetrical pains impacting the lower limbs, such as calves or thighs
- Occurs in the evening and at night and typically disappears by morning
- Pain is intermittent with pain-free days in between
- The child is otherwise well, without swelling, redness, or fever
- The child can walk normally during the day
Treatment for Growing Pains
Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent or cure growing pains. The only way to manage the problem is to alleviate the symptoms via home remedies.
Here are some of the methods you can use to help your child tackle their growing pains:
- Massaging and Stretching the Area: Ask your child where the pain is located. Then gently massage the area. You can also suggest stretching the area to your child, particularly targeting quadriceps, calf muscles and hamstrings.
- Apply Warmth: Some children find that a warm bath soothes their growing pains away. Alternatively, a hot water bottle or heat pack can help when applied to the area.
- Use Painkillers: Over-the-counter pain medicines like children’s ibuprofen and paracetamol can be helpful. Make sure you follow the packet instructions and give your child the correct dose.
- Wear Supportive Footwear: Suggest that your child wears supportive footwear, like trainers, where possible.
- Change Physical Activity: If your child plays sport or exercises vigorously, suggest different activities to work different muscle groups and reduce strain on leg muscles.
At What Age Do Children Usually Experience Growing Pains?
Growing pains are experienced by children that are 3-12 years old. They are experienced by girls slightly more than boys.
Growing pains are poorly understood and consequently we do not know why they occur at these ages. However it is understood that growing itself is not painful and growing pains do not occur at times of rapid growth. Some practitioners believe the phenomenon is linked to restless legs syndrome.
It is thought that high levels of physical activity such as climbing, running and jumping may increase risk of growing pains at night. This is because these activities are hard on a child’s musculoskeletal system.
How Optimise Health Can Help You?
At Optimise Health, our collaborative team provides five services dedicated to improving your foot and heel pain. The idea of visiting a health professional may seem daunting at first, but rest assured we understand what you’re going through and aim to make your experience with us as pleasant as possible! Our goal is to help you achieve yours, and we do so with the utmost respect and care for each and every patient.
Our range of services includes:
Two Great Locations.
Optimise Health have multiple specialists working across our two conveniently located clinics in Toowoomba and Warwick.
14 Ipswich Street, Toowoomba
Monday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Shop 2/44-46 Wood St, Warwick
Monday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Why You Should Put Your Feet In Our Hands?
Multi-Disciplinary Approach
State-Of-The-Art Facilities
Proactive Care And Treatment For Injuries
Frequently Asked Questions.
What other children's foot problems do you treat?
At Optimise Health, we offer children’s podiatry services to support your child’s foot health. Whether your child’s feet hurt, they cannot walk correctly or they have warts or a fungal infection, we have the expertise to help.
Here are some of the issues we can tackle:
- Toe Walking: Where a child walks on their tiptoes.
- Pigeon Toes or In-Toeing: Where the child walks with their toes pointing inwards.
- Out Toeing: Where the child walks with their toes pointing outwards when they walk.
- Flat Feet: Where there is very little or no arch to your child’s foot.
- Ingrown Toenails: Where the toenail digs into the flesh either side of the toe. This is very common in children.
- Athlete’s Foot: This fungal infection causes symptoms like itching, redness, dry and flaky skin, and blisters, most often between the toes.
- Warts: A common problem that can easily spread if not treated.
- Difficulty or Delayed Walking: Typically, children start walking between 12 to 18 months. If your child has not met this milestone, they are uncomfortable walking or wobbly, this is an indicator that something may be worth investigating.
- Pain in the Legs, Feet, or Knees: If your child always avoids exercising, limps or wakes up with painful legs, you should visit us for a full assessment to find out the cause and receive expert, personalised care. We provide child foot pain treatment.
- Ongoing Tripping and Clumsiness: This may be a sign of balance problems, poor foot posture, or neuromuscular disorders.
- Asymmetric Shoe Wear: This can indicate postural disorders or abnormal walking patterns. This can include supination (rolling outwards) or pronation (rolling inwards).
- Abnormal Standing Position or Unusual Posture: If your child sits or stands in an unusual way, this could indicate biomechanical problems.
- Foot Problems That Run in the Family: We can provide early prevention measures.