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Growing pains are muscle exhaustion in children who play hard, not associated with growth. They usually occur in the evening or at night and can be relieved by warm baths or pain medication, but frequent or accompanied by fever require medical attention.
Growing pains are pains that can occur in children between the ages of 3-5 and 8-12 years old. They often manifest as leg pain or painful cramps in the muscles around the thighs, calves, or shins. In fact, most doctors don’t believe that growing pains are associated with growth. Instead they suggest that growing pains are the muscle exhaustion of kids who play hard during the day.
However, growing pains usually stop after growing periods stop. They become much less common after children have stopped growing. Other children seem more susceptible to these pains during rapid growth spurts.
Growing pains usually occur late in the day or sometimes in the middle of the night. They can affect one or both legs. If they are accompanied by fever, they may not be growing pains but could indicate other types of illness. Also, if they occur very frequently, it is probably best to seek the advice of a doctor about them. Sometimes the early stages of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can be dismissed as growing pains. Also, pain associated with fever may indicate a leg injury or the onset of the flu.
When other conditions have been ruled out, or when growing pains are rare, some things can help make a child more comfortable. If aches and pains occur late in the day, a warm bath can help ease the cramps. Additionally, ibuprofen or acetaminophen can help relieve pain associated with cramped muscles.
A child can also use a heating pad, but this is generally only recommended for older children who are supervised. Especially in the middle of the night, if a parent or child forgets to turn off a heating pad, the child could suffer accidental burns of the child’s sensitive skin.
According to some doctors, taking ibuprofen at night can prevent growing pains. This advice should only be taken under the care of a doctor because there are some risks associated with the consistent use of pain medication.
However, if a child is occasionally prone to growing pains and has played very hard during the day, the occasional use of ibuprofen or acetaminophen at bedtime might help eliminate cramping during the night. This use should only be sporadic and should not exceed more than a couple of consecutive days, unless otherwise directed by your doctor.
