Leg Pains in Kids: Just growing pains?

[Liberty Belle]

I wonder if your child plays a lot of sports?

I just brought DS to a foot surgeon to check on his flat feet because his soccer coach had pointed out that he runs oddly even though he is fast. I didn't know that flat feet were muscular until that meeting, this is some other stuff I've learned. Apparently growth spurts in the bones can surpass the muscles ability to catch up. In his case the achilles tendon is now too short ( DS grew 3 inches since Feb) so it pulls & his walk & run are ruined. DH is taking him to learn appropriate exercises next week. According to DS's surgeon, after 1 month of exercises we need to bring DS back to him to see if the exercises worked. If so we can then get DS the foot supports. According to the Dr the foot supports will be too painful for DS to stand unless he streatches out the muscles first. I can't say whether or not this will work but we are hopeful.

I just thought I would mention our experience in case the inserts hurt.

My ds had/has this, too. His physical therapist looked at his knees and said those would be going through it next.

He hasn't been involved in sports since last spring (besides swimming), so hopefully it's better now, or will be in time for track. Will had to quit track last spring because of this.

 

[tink1978]

It could definitely be growing pains. I used to get them a lot as a child. My little brother got them so often and severely that my mom used to have to rub his legs until he fell asleep at night. Give her some Tylenol or Motrin. It will help with the pain.

Since some of the previous posters comments could make you freak out (because I probably would be too)...if they have only just started...I wouldn't worry too much about it being some life threatening illness. However, if they last for more than a day or so and are constant, then yes, I would take her to the doctor.

 

[#1MMFan]

The reason I'm concerned is because DH's childhood friend died of leukemia, which started with leg pains that were misdiagnosed as "growing pains."

FWIW, DD is really milking it with the heating pack.

Okay, but please don't go to your doctor and immediately say this because you'll come across really neurotic. Remember "Growing pains" = top of list.... "cancer" = mega far down if not bottom of long list. The challenge is to put it in perspective.

 

[Lizzy2]

My DD5 has growing pains and we give her Motrin and rub her legs until she can go back to sleep. My husband had really bad ones so we haven't ever questioned them and her checkups are always fine but my Mom always says ask the Dr. that's what your paying them for. Amazingly enough they always seem to happen in the middle of the night and scare the crap out of you with the crying. The joys of motherhood!!

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

I think she's fine today ... I asked her how she felt this morning when she woke up and she said, "Better. My leg doesn't hurt anymore!" She's got a good, old-fashioned cold, but she still ran around like crazy during dinner today. Thanks for all the good advice, y'all! I'm still going to keep an eye on her.

 

[PrincessKitty1]

While it's VERY unlikely that your daughter has a malignancy, it's worth checking out if the pain continues (but it sounds most likely that she is achey from a virus!). I would definitely take her to her pediatrician if she continues to have pain--he/she should do lab work and at least an xray. And then you will have peace of mind!

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Ohmigoodness, I had the most HORRIBLE growing pains when I was a kid...and I had them all of the time...(well, look at me...I'm 6ft1"!).

If they continue to really, really hurt her, call her doc. More than likely just growing pains.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

i used to get HORRIBLE leg pains when i was younger, and they were just growing pains. i could barely walk sometimes, i'd have to crawl. but i got checked out and i was fine, just growing pains. and i'm fine now!

 

[twinmomplus2new]

I have been going through this for over a year now with my 6 year old son. Fisrt of all it's scary as anything. I have all the same thoughts cancer. leukemia, tumors you name it. I have had it in the back of my mind.

So far I have had very little in the way of answers except that he has recently been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, it can be over looked and present itself with leg paiun at ages 3-5. Due to the fact that the legs can grow abnormally affecting the childs gait and causing pain.

The EARLIER you catch this the better chances of braces being the fix. If it continues please check this possibility.

It is more common in girls, early term babies, breach babies, and babies who may have had low amniotic fluid prebirth.

The only thing my son had was preterm 35 weeks and low fluid levels.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have been going through this for over a year now with my 6 year old son. Fisrt of all it's scary as anything. I have all the same thoughts cancer. leukemia, tumors you name it. I have had it in the back of my mind.

So far I have had very little in the way of answers except that he has recently been diagnosed with hip dysplasia, it can be over looked and present itself with leg paiun at ages 3-5. Due to the fact that the legs can grow abnormally affecting the childs gait and causing pain.

The EARLIER you catch this the better chances of braces being the fix. If it continues please check this possibility.

It is more common in girls, early term babies, breach babies, and babies who may have had low amniotic fluid prebirth.

The only thing my son had was preterm 35 weeks and low fluid levels.

My daughter had this. She was preterm and breach! She wore this body brace thing for 5 months and she is just fine now. I was glad they caught it in the nursery.

 

[brittsmum1998]

My DD8 started complaining a year ago this month of neck pain requiring motrin every so often. By February of this year she was up EVERY single night in the middle of the night in agony. I brought her to Pedis and they said sprained neck muscle didn't believe it but ok....month later WORSE maybe growing pains they say... Motrin every 5 hours around the clock!! Tests started, everything including 2 MRI's ...nope nothing there but we believe you. Ok, Dr says we are going to do a bone scan just to be sure...lo and behold an Ostoid Osteoma on her 6th vertabrae!! 2 spine surgeries later, pain free for 2 months, she is starting again. They gave her a very thorough bone scan (3 1/2 hours ) and can find nothing yet ..I am telling this not to make anyone paranoid but we learned that ostoid osteoma while not common in the spine at all IS common in the leg in BOYS between the ages of 5 and 10. It is a very small tiny almost "tumor" (not fatal) that exerts a chemical causing inflamation. It can take up to 5 yrs to diagnose. good luck and dont be afraid to ask for more tests if it keeps up. Kim

 

[barkley]

if she's complaining of it in both legs i would tend to think it's growing pains as well, but i would suggest getting it checked out (not an emergency or urgent care trip, just call and make an appointment for a future ped. appointment). the reason i say this is based on personal experience.

my dd is 12. in may 1995 she fell from her bike and a routine xray of her arm showed that the humerus was hollow (it looked like a soda straw). within less than 3 weeks she had to undergo surgery to have the area filled with bone grafts, and she now has to have orthopedic follow ups every 6 months until adulthood. my daughter at some point in her life had a bone anuerism (they estimate because of the extent of the bone malformation it likely occured when she was quite young), and both the pediatrian and the pediatric orthopedic surgeon advised that they have seen these more often than you would think. unfortunatly they don't tend to see them until a kid gets injured (usualy a bike or sporting accident) and the area experiences a much more severe break than a normal bone should. bone anuerisms most often occur in the upper arm and thigh bones, and the only symptom can be a child's complaint of 'achyness' in the area (apparantly it's not a sharp pain, but a dull nagging pain that can come on and disapate within days). in dd's case we don't recall her ever making such a complaint, but we were told if a child has had growing pains it may feel to them similar but a bit more intense.

my dd was lucky to have had it discovered after a minor fall-she did break the arm but it was a minor fracture- a harder fall could have resulted in her entire humerus shattering beyond repair. our pediatrician has had 2 cases in the past couple of years wherein a toddler and a young teen had them undiagnosed in their thigh bones, got injured and ended up with multiple breaks requireing total immobalization for months.

as i said before, it's not something you need to rush to see your pediatrician about, but it's something that should be mentioned at a future appointment. it's something a routine xray can rule out. if it is the culprit, caught early it can be treated with 'needle surgery' vs. the full blown type my dd had to go through.

hugs to your dd-hope she's feeling better.

 

[blondeheroine]

I had these horribly when I was growing up (you'd have thought I would have wound up tall, but alas - only 5'4"). My Mom used to take rubbing alcohol and rub them to make them feel somewhat better. I don't know if it was the actual alcohol or just the attention, but it always seemed to help.

 

[gypsydoodlebug]

She seems to be fine today -- the cold is still there, poor thing, but she's currently using an empty roll of wrapping paper and yelling "ARRgh! I'm a pirate!" to the dog. I'll keep an eye on her, since it was only for a few hours a couple of nights ago.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

she's currently using an empty roll of wrapping paper and yelling "ARRgh! I'm a pirate!" to the dog.