What are growing pains?
We don’t recommend you ignoring what might appear to be growing pains in children. These often occur as leg aches at night and can occur monthly or as frequently as a couple times a week. In severe cases children will cry at night and rub their legs. They can occur more frequently after an active day and can be a sign that there is an extra strain on that area of the body. A thorough biomechanical assessment from a podiatrist can result in findings related to tightness in the muscles, poor posture or compensation in the affected areas. Treatment often reduces both the severity and the frequency of the episodes.
What can be done about growing pains?
Because growing pains is a broad term assigned to leg aches in children, the treatment varies significantly depending on:
The area of pain
Frequency of pain
Severity of pain
The child’s age
The child’s activity level
As children grow their bones grow faster than their muscles and their lower limb posture changes. Some aches can be linked to this phenomenon. Treatment can include stretching specific muscle groups; changing the way a child sits; changing the way a child stands, walk or compensates for postural anomalies.
