Growing pains

Growing pains often are described as an ache or throb in the legs — usually in the front of the thighs, the calves, the shins or behind the knees. The pain tends to affect both legs. It usually happens at night and may even wake a child from sleep.

Growing pains may be linked to a lower pain threshold, meaning you start to sense pain when its intensity is low. Or in some cases, the symptoms may be tied to mental or emotional stress.

Growing pains also have been linked with another condition that causes uncomfortable feelings in the legs, called restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS causes an urge to move one or both legs. Some children may have both conditions.

There's no specific treatment for growing pains. But you can make your child more comfortable. For instance, you could put a warm heating pad on the sore muscles and massage them.

Growing pains usually cause an aching or throbbing feeling in the legs. This pain often occurs in the front of the thighs, the calves, the shins or behind the knees. Typically, both legs hurt. Some children also may have belly pain or headaches during bouts of growing pains.

The pain often comes and goes. Your child might not have symptoms for days or weeks at a time. But some children have pain more often or daily.

Growing pains often strike in the late afternoon or early evening and go away by morning. Sometimes they cause a child to wake up in the middle of the night.

Talk with a member of your child's healthcare team if you're concerned about your child's leg pain. Schedule a checkup if the pain is:

• Persistent or getting worse.
• Present in only one leg.
• Still there in the morning or during the daytime.
• Bad enough to get in the way of your child's usual activities.
• Located in the joints.
• Related to an injury.
• Accompanied by other symptoms, such as swelling, tenderness, fever, limping, rash, loss of appetite, weakness or fatigue.

The cause of growing pains is unknown.

Growing pains don't happen where growth occurs or during times of rapid growth. It's been suggested that growing pains may be linked to various health issues. These include low vitamin D levels, mental stress, very flexible joints and foot conditions including flatfeet. The most likely cause of growing pains is thought to be muscle pain at night after too much physical activity during the day. Overuse of the legs from activities such as running, climbing and jumping can be hard on a child's muscles and bones.

Encourage your child to stay active though. Stopping your child's usual activities doesn't prevent growing pains.

Growing pains tend to happen between the ages of 3 to 14. They're slightly more common in girls than in boys. Running, climbing or jumping more than usual during the day might raise the risk of leg pain at night.