Growing pains are cramping or aching pains in limbs usually occurring in kids age between 3 to 12 years.
Causes-
∙ Increased physical activity can lead to overuse of your child’ s muscles, which can cause pain.
∙ Some studies show that children with growing pains have a lower pain threshold. These children are more likely to
have headaches and abdominal pain as well.
∙ Many children with growing pains have very flexible joints (hypermobility) and have flat feet. Being hypermobile can cause growing pains.
∙ Studies found that children with growing pains have less bone strength due to low vitamin D levels.
Symptoms and signs-
∙ Pain occurs mostly in a child’ s legs (shins, calves, thighs or behind their knees) and affect both sides of their body.
∙ Night pains
∙ No pain or stiffness in morning
∙ Pain will often occur on days of increased physical activity. ∙ Deep cramping or aching pain. The degree of pain can be mild or very severe.
∙ Some children feel growing pains for a couple of minutes and others feel the pains for several hours.
∙ Growing pains may be intermittent, with pain-free intervals from days to months. In some children, the pain can occur daily.
1. Calcarea Phos – Leg pains with numbness and crawling sensation and tendency to perspiration.
2. Rhus Tox – Pains after overuse of muscles.
3. Magnesium Phos – When pain is better by pressure
4. Calcarea Carb – For pains in back of leg in calf muscles with sour foot sweat and weakness of extremities
5. Silicea – When legs feel cold and weak along with Pain. Weakness of bones due to defective assimilation of nutrients.
6. Guaiacum – For Thigh Pain
7. Agaricus – For Pricking pains in front of the lower leg in Shin Bone. General Management-
∙ Massage – Children often respond to gentle massage. ∙ Hot Fomentation-Heat can help soothe sore muscles.
∙ Stretching exercises-Stretching the muscles in the legs during the day may help prevent pain at night.
