Other Dietary Changes ^
Some moms have reported that their childrens growing pains resolved when the removed problematic ingredients from their diet. For one child it was aspartame, for another it was gluten. Though I dont know of any studies that are directly related to either of these substances, it makes sense to me that food sensitivities could play a role if they cause significant inflammation.
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What Are Growing Pains
Growing pains arent a disease. You probably wont have to go to the doctor for them. But they can hurt. Usually they happen when kids are between the ages of 3 and 5 or 8 and 12. Doctors dont believe that growing actually causes pain, but growing pains stop when kids stop growing. By the teen years, most kids dont get growing pains anymore.
Kids get growing pains in their legs. Most of the time they hurt in the front of the thighs , in the calves , or behind the knees. Usually, both legs hurt.
Growing pains often start to ache right before bedtime. Sometimes you go to bed without any pain, but you might wake up in the middle of the night with your legs hurting. The best news about growing pains is that they go away by morning.
Homeopathic Arnica Works Fast For Growing Pains
Lets take note before we move forward that I am not a doctor, nurse or practitioner of any kind, and Im just sharing the knowledge I have as a mom. Please take my advice as you would your neighbors or the crazy lady at your church! This post is not meant to be medical advice.
This is the little balls that my son was asking for. We have always used homeopathic arnica montana 30c as our magic growing pains balls. Arnica is said to be the first line of defense against any physical trauma. If you only have one homeopathic remedy on hand, this would be a good one.
Because this is a very quick remedy to administer, our little balls are the second option we always reach for.
To use a homeopathic remedy, you put the balls, usually 3, into the lid of the container. Try not to touch them with your fingers because the active remedy is on the outside of the ball and easily rubbed off.
Tip the contents of the lid into the childs mouth, and if they are old enough, instruct them to hold the balls under their tongue. Under the tongue is the fastest way to get the remedy into the bloodstream.
Its okay to use homeopathy even on children, and growing pains dont usually begin until at least age 2, so you dont have to worry about children younger . If the child does wake up again, you can give a second administration of the remedy as soon as 15 minutes later.
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Is It Possible For Adults To Have Growing Pains
Growing pains are common in children and can make their legs and feet ache at night. The pain can also be felt in the knees, thighs, and calves. It can occur on both sides of the body. Sometimes growing pains occur in the stomach and can cause headaches. It happens in episodes mostly at night off and on during growth spurts. The episodes can start as early as afternoon and evening, but usually go away by the next morning. But can it occur in adults. Read on to see if this is even possible.
How To Stop Knee Pain At Night
At least, take half an hour before going to bed, get off your feet. Prepare and apply a cold compress or bag of ice to the knee. If you have frozen vegetables available, such as peas, use them in the same way instead of ice. Then, wrap your knee with a compression bandage to prevent swelling or to leak over your bed, but not so tight that it might cut off circulation. While you are laying, keep your foot elevated.
Now let us set this clear: before you attempt to treat your pain at home, you should be aware of complications. If your pain feels moderate to severe and injury caused it, seek medical attention. Some types of knee pain can require surgery or other interventions to resolve.
Even though old age often brings physical challenges, you can take practical steps to enhance your safety and the quality of your life. Indeed, you can strive to maintain reasonable health and strength.
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What Can I Do To Feel Better
Your parent can help your growing pains feel better by giving you an over-the-counter pain medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Kids should not take aspirin because it can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome.
Here are three other things that might help you feel better:
The Apophysis Of The Knee
An apophysis is a growth platean area where bone is rapidly growing in children and adolescents. In Osgood-Schlatter disease, the apophysis is located at the front of the knee joint, right where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia. This is a strong tendon that is also attached to the powerful quadriceps muscle in the thigh. Every time the quad muscle contracts, it pulls on the patellar tendon, and thus on the tibia. Therefore, a lot of force is transferred directly to the apophysis.
When young children and adolescents are very active with sports, this repetitive pulling on the tibial apophysis can cause inflammation in that growth center of the bone. This process is called Osgood-Schlatter disease or traction apophysitis.
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Could The Knee Pain Be Caused By A Different Problem
Absolutely. There are many other problems that can produce similar symptoms, including damage to the knee ligaments or the articular cartilage, patellar tendonitis, a tibial stress fracture, bursitis, and more. This is why its important to obtain an accurate diagnosis, including medical imaging, to confidently confirm Osgood Schlatters and rule out other injuries.
While Osgood Schlatters will resolve eventually, if other problems are present and left undiagnosed, they may worsen and increase in intensity.
When To Go To The Doctor
If you have a fever, are limping when you walk, or your leg looks red or is swollen , your parent should take you to the doctor. Growing pains should not keep you from running, playing, and doing what you normally do. If the pain is bothering you during the day, talk to your parent about it.
You might never feel any growing pains, but if you do, remember that before you know it, you will outgrow them!
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Treatment For Growing Pains
- plenty of cuddles and reassurance that the pain will go away and that their legs will feel normal by morning
- massaging the painful area using special massage oils
- heat treatment, such as warm baths and heat packs
- medicines that reduce pain, such as paracetamol
- if your child has feet that roll in or if they trip a lot, ask a podiatrist to check their legs and posture
- don’t tell the child that the pain is associated with playing or growing, or else the child may feel afraid of both.
How To Know If Your Child Has Growing Pains
Lab studies and x-rays wont help your doctor diagnose growing pains, although imaging can help rule out other, more serious conditions.
We help diagnose growing pains after an office visit and discussion with the child and parent, Dr. Weinberger explains.
The intensity and frequency of growing pains varies. They can range from feeling like a minor ache to an intense muscle cramp. But there are common factors you can expect to see:
- They occur at night or in the evening hours.
- Your child will probably feel pain in both legs or arms .
- Pain almost always includes the legs. If theres pain in the arms, it typically is in addition to pain in the legs.
- Theyre often intense enough to wake your child up.
They usually occur in the legs and last anywhere from five to 20 minutes, Dr. Weinberger says. There could be multiple nights between episodes or they could happen several nights in a row.
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Is Damage Being Done
While inflammation and irritation to the apophysis are taking place, this damage is not permanent. People who have Osgood-Schlatter disease may notice the tibial tubercle is more prominent. This may persist later in life, but it generally does not cause a problem.
The typical signs of Osgood-Schlatter disease include:
- Pain on the front of the shin, just below the knee joint
- Prominence of the tibial tubercle
- Swelling and tenderness of the tibial tubercle
- Pain during, but more commonly in the hours following, sports activity
Wish You Knew All The Answers To Keep Your Family Healthy
How about a crash course?
Id love to send you a 7-day Quick Start Guide email mini-course to give you Health Agency! When something goes wrong in your family, YOU can be the agent of healing and not allllllways have to call a doctor for every little thing.
Imagine this email series as a virtual chat over the backyard fence with your own neighbor, a wise older mom whos raising 4 kids with intention, trying to avoid unnecessary medication and being kind to the earth.
Looking forward to connecting to help you learn EXACTLY what you need to know to stock your natural remedies medicine cabinet, deal with normal childhood ailments, and even the dreaded, Whats that on my skin? issue!
Note: Do see a doctor if these pains are accompanied by fever, swelling, redness, loss of appetite or are still present in the morning. More here and here.
See more of Katie Kimball, CSME in the Media.
Over the last 10 years, Katie has spoken prolifically at conferences, online summits and podcasts and become a trusted authority and advocate for childrens health.
Busy moms look to this certified educator for honest, in-depth natural product reviews and thorough research. She often partners with health experts and medical practitioners to deliver the most current information to the Kitchen Stewardship® community.
In 2016 she created the #1 bestselling online kids cooking course, Kids Cook Real Food, helping thousands of families around the world learn to cook.
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The Power Of Positive Thinking Goes A Long Way
When my child with growing pains has calmed down enough to lay down and rest again, I like to leave them with as many positive thoughts as I can. I know their cortisol and adrenaline has been rushing, so anything I can do to calm their mind will help them sleep.
I say things like:
- It will be so cool to see how much youve grown in the morning!
- I know it hurts, but its almost gone
- The little balls will do their job, just rest and close your eyes
- Youre all taken care of, now you can sleep
- I know that was hard, but you were so brave, and youll be just fine in the morning.
- Growing is such hard work, but sleep will make it all better.
- You played so hard today and had so much fun, your legs are all tired out. But now they can rest and get better
I know, kind of shady since the pain might not have to do with growing, but its such a nice sentiment!
And most importantly, keeping perspective and a calm voice will help you keep your cortisol in check so you too can get back to bed and sleep as quickly as possible!
Hopefully, your hot pad and little balls can do the job so that you dont have to rub circles on your childs knees all night long. Its those nights when I curse the hardwood floor in my youngests room, the same floor for which I am so grateful when he has a stomach bug!
Heres to more minutes in bed for all of us!
When Should I Call The Doctor
When deciding whether to call the doctor, its important to remember that growing pains are almost always felt in both legs. Pain that is only in one leg may be a sign of a more serious condition. Call your health care provider if this happens.
Its also important to remember that growing pains affect muscles, not joints. And they do not cause limping or fever.
Call your childs doctor or nurse if leg pain occurs with the following symptoms. They arent symptoms of growing pains, but your doctor will need to examine your child and run tests:
- injury, such as a fall
- fever
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Massage The Growing Pain In Your Childs Leg
As soon as I ascertain where a childs growing pain is, I start a good, firm rubbing on the area. I want them to know with great immediacy that I am taking care of them, and it also really helps to apply that counter pressure to alleviate the pain.
Although growing pains are technically in the muscle, for my kids they tend to centralize at the knees and ankles. My pediatrician confirmed that this is really normal. So I try to concentrate my massage around those joints.
I often focus on the back of the knee with small circles, or I might go up and down the thigh and calf muscles.
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What Exactly Are Growing Pains
For parents, growing pains can be a sore subject, literally and figuratively. Growing pains are the most common type of limb pain in children and occur in both boys and girls. The condition can be very painful, but fortunately, it isnt dangerous. But what exactly are they and what can you do about them?
The term growing pains refers to a benign pattern of pain in the limbs. This pain usually occurs in children aged 2 to 12 and is typically not serious. Between ten and thirty-five percent of children will have these pains at least once. People commonly assume that growing pains are caused by bones stretching, but even during a growth spurt bones grow really slowly, too slowly to cause pain. The name was given in the 1930s to 1940s when the pains were thought to be from faster growth of the bones when compared to the growth of the tendons. We know today that this is not true, but the name has remained.
Growing pains vary from child to child and not all children will have them. Sometimes growing pains last just a few minutes, other times they last a few hours. The pain may be mild, or it may be severe. However, if your child does have them, the pain may occur every day, but usually only happens intermittently. Children with severe cases may feel pain every day.
If there is any question about your childs growing pains, make an appointment with your childs pediatrician. Need a pediatrician? Find one here.
Questions?
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Magnesium Or Pain Relief Lotion
As long as youre rubbing your childs legs, they might as well get a little nighttime lotion!
Magnesium may help alleviate growing pains as well as help a child sleep, so you really cant go wrong with some of Earthleys Good Night lotion. This might even be a good preventative measure at bedtime.
Where I Buy Magnesium
From sleep to morning sickness to constipation to muscle soreness, magnesium works wonders!
I found a gentle, yet effective, magnesium oil that is safe for kids. The problem with regular magnesium oils is that they hurt sensitive skin like mine that is prone to rashes. RaiseThemWell has an extra-gentle balm doesnt burn or itch.
Its so calming and smells great with all the ingredients you want, including arnica, and none that you dont want.
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How To Treat Growing Pains At Home
You dont have to just watch your child experience these growing pains and wait it out there are some great conservative care options to help make this period of time more comfortable. Specifically, incorporating gentle stretching, massage and encouraging healthy eating can help with the overall comfort of your child, although they may not eliminate growing pains completely.
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What Causes Growing Pains In Kids
If you ask my kids, growing pains refer to any pains in legs or ankles that wake them up in the middle of the night. But lets see what the experts say.
In general, growing pains are felt in both legs, especially in the front of the thighs, back of legs , or behind the knees. Despite the name growing pains, there is no firm evidence that growing pains are linked to growth spurts.
In fact, doctors even call them recurrent nocturnal limb pain in children.
Many think growing pains might just be sore muscles after a day of big activity like running, jumping or sports they tend to be more pronounced after kids have very active days. This could be a result of decreased bone strength and/or lower threshold of pain in general in the child. Kids who are hypermobile may also experience more growing pains. It is thought that growing pains are a non-inflammatory pain.
Often a child doesnt want you to touch an everyday owie recall the screeches of pain and suffering the last time you tried to wash off a scraped knee from a driveway tumble! But with growing pains, massage and rubbing tend to feel good .
Sources vary wildly, but likely 20 to 40 percent of children under 12 have growing pains at some point, and theyre slightly more common in girls than in boys.
My friend Heather has a lot of great ideas about what you can do to build your childs resistance to growing pains during the day , but what about when its the middle of the night and you need relief, NOW?