What Is Growing Pains In Children And Adolescents?

Growing pains are very common in children and adolescents during their development. They may feel discomfort in the arms, legs and extremities. They often complain that they feel a burning sensation.

Usually this type of pain happens at night. Sometimes it can even wake your kids up because of discomfort.

However, you should know that it can also occur during the day. It usually does not cause enough problems to affect the daily activities.

We do not know exactly what the main causes are. However, there are several theories. For example, many children with growing pains tend to be very flexible or have flat feet.

In most cases, pain or discomfort tends to come and go. It is difficult to guess when growing pains will occur.

If they feel discomfort, children will usually want you to massage the painful area. This will also help you notice the difference, between growing pains and severe conditions related to their bones or muscles.

Children who experience more severe pain will not let anyone touch this. If you are concerned that your child has a serious problem, contact your doctor immediately.

Consequences of growing pains

Growth pains mainly occur in the legs, shins, calves, behind the knee or in the thigh. It can affect both sides of the body.

However, you need to stay calm. Although your children may feel a lot of pain, there is no damage to their bones and muscles. There are simple ways to treat growing pains.

Also keep in mind that pain can occur during the day or at night. The duration of the discomfort is usually 10 to 30 minutes. However, it can vary from minutes to hours.

As for the degree of pain, it can be very mild or severe. Growing pain is intermittent. Children can walk without growing pain for days or months. On the other hand, some children may experience them every day.

If you want to reduce the amount of pain that your children feel,  reassure them that the pain will go away. It is not permanent. At the same time you can massage them with special oils. This can help relieve the pain, and make them feel more comfortable.

Symptoms of growing pains in children and adolescents

Here are the symptoms of growing pain in children and adolescents. If you recognize some in your children, keep in mind that it could potentially be due to growing pain.

• Muscle pain in both legs, usually their calves, behind the knees and in the thighs.
• Moving their legs does not improve or aggravate the pain. This shows that there is no problem with their joints.

• The pain comes and goes. It worsens at night and may be gone in the morning.
• The discomfort is intense enough to wake them up.
• They also feel pain in the muscles of their arm.
• They may also complain of headaches.
• The pain does not cause paralysis. It does not affect the ability to perform daily routines.

Finally, remember that the cause of growing pains is not entirely clear. In fact, it is often mistakenly thought to be caused by growing bones.

The bones grow slowly, even during periods of rapid development. This gradual growth does not cause pain.

Some children have ongoing pain for many years. The good news is that they generally disappear in the middle of adolescence.