Need Help with Growing Pains in my Daughters Legs!

V - posted on 10/26/2012

"It can be tricky to tell. In fact, children are sometimes thought to have growing pains when something more serious is going on, so be sure to talk with the doctor if your child has unexplained pain.



The doctor will make a diagnosis largely by making sure that nothing else is causing the pain. Pain in the legs can be caused by restless leg syndrome (RLS), for example, and pain in the extremities can sometimes signal something serious like an infection, a fracture, a tumor, leukemia, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or other joint problems.



There are some symptoms that can help with a diagnosis. Growing pains generally last only about ten to 15 minutes, and they usually affect both sides of the body similarly (although not necessarily at the same time). The pain is usually felt deep in the muscles, not in the joints. Growing pains do not cause fever, chills, redness, swelling, limping, or joint pain.



The following symptoms may indicate that something more serious is going on.



Your child's pain is coming from one particular spot and is so severe that it wakes him up at night. (His doctor may want to do a bone scan to rule out a bone infection or tumor.)



Your child has a fever along with leg pain — and there's no obvious source for the fever, like flu symptoms. (The doctor can give your child a blood test to find out whether he has an infection.)



Your child's pain is in a joint and he has trouble moving it or it's red or swollen. (The doctor will want to determine what's going on in that particular joint.)



Your child has a lot of pain in one hip, thigh, or knee — or he has trouble putting weight on one leg or seems to be limping. (His doctor may want to do an X-ray to make sure there's nothing amiss with his bones.)



Your child's pain persists during the daytime hours. (Ask his doctor about it.)

Rachel - posted on 09/08/2011

Tiger Balm!!!! I just discovered this one, my son has been having bad growing pains and we do stretching and yoga stuff to help him, but when it got really bad I tried tiger balm out and it was like an instant relief. I have extra strength tiger balm I got from the massage place near where we live

Sharon - posted on 01/07/2010

Talk to your doctor....

My kids didn't have growing pains as toddlers, nothing that woke them up at night.

It is odd she gets them at night only. My kids get them now at all different hours of the day. IF the pain is intense, they get tylenol. And I buy a lot of banana the next day. each child has to eat half a banana each day. I try to keep that banana thing going for the next two weeks.

Speaking of... its beena while... time to stock up on bananas.

Abbie - posted on 01/07/2010

Also make sure you child is well hydrated. Muscles that don't have enough water will hurt more. You can make a game to stretch them. Warm baths then massage them. Massage helps bring blood flow to the area which will release pain.

Leslie - posted on 01/07/2010

My cousin and I had these leg pains when we were little. We went to two different doctors and they both said that it could be a combination of growing bones and also the fact that we walked barefoot and the coldness of the floor caused the aches in our legs. So we always had to wear socks and the pains became less frequent.

Jolene - posted on 01/07/2010

I would give my son pain medicine and have him eat bananas. The bananas really seemed to help my son if he would eat them regularly. Not sure where I heard to try them though.

Teri - posted on 01/07/2010

Three of my kids had these growing pains, mostly at night or in the evenings after a very hectic (physically) day. I found that the key to helping ease the pain was warmth. Anything from a hot water bottle, rubbing the painful area, muscle lotions that give off warmth etc. If it was bad, then I would give some childrens paracetamol as well.
The oldest one had them when he was older too around the puberty time, mostly after he had been playing football for a long time or when he was very tired.

Nan - posted on 01/07/2010

I too had them growing up.. And evening in my chest with getting breast! Just a part of life, and just have to deal with it.. Not much you can do but, like I said massage them, and give pain relief medicine! heating pads as well. hope this helps.. sorry, I can't magically make it go away, just life..

Cindy - posted on 01/07/2010

my daughter is 7 she still does this. her doctor says it is growing pains. who would of thought that those were real huh. i bought some lotion that is for achy feet and legs. it sorta tingles and warms the skin. she loves it. also try some motrin when she's in a lot of pain to help keep it from hurting throughout the rest of the night.

Candy - posted on 01/07/2010

My father, his sister, and my sister all 3 had and have experienced this all of their lives..my sister and my aunt have been diagnosed with fibromylgia. Not sure if that is a starting point for you or not. I do mean from age 2 1/2 to now my sister is in her 40s and my aunt is 80.

Belinda - posted on 01/07/2010

I am 21 and I get the pains in my legs every now and then and especially when I was pregnant with my son, I used a heating pad and it worked. I left in on for about 15-20 min and gave my legs a break but I could tell a big difference. With her being so only 3 I would prolly put it on the low or low med setting and maybe try like 10 min see if that does anything.

Valerie - posted on 01/07/2010

Until about what age do these last?

Britney - posted on 01/07/2010

I remember waking up as a child with excruciating pain in my legs and knees and now my son(4) is waking up with the same thing. I give him a dose of motrin every night before bed as well as rub his legs with myoflex. I prefer myoflex over other topical treatments because it is odorless and doesn't leave the "cold" feeling. It seems to have helped a lot for us. He doesn't wake up too often now....only the nights that I forget or someone else puts him to bed.

Nan - posted on 01/07/2010

my daughter (9 yrs old) did this and still does, and my son (4 yrs old) is now going through it as well.. Rub their legs and give them some pain releif medicine! It does help. But really other than that, that is all you can do!

Sheka - posted on 01/07/2010

I also used to have these pains in my legs as a child and now from time to time. My 7 year old daughter also wakes up with pains in her legs. I don't know what causes these and would also like to know.