Help For Growing Pains
Dr. Suzanne Crix

Growing pains most often appear in the lower extremities (ankles, knees, hips). The pain a child feels from growing pains can range from mild to excruciating. Pain will sometimes keep children up at night or wake them up in the middle of the night.

What causes growing pains? Growing pains tend to happen when a child has had a growth spurt. The pain comes from the tendons of the muscles that cross the ankle, knee or hip joints, or wherever the child is feeling pain.

During a growth spurt the bones grow very quickly. Sometimes they grow so fast that the muscles can’t grow fast enough to keep up. When the muscles are too short for the bones there can be micro-tears at the tendons. The micro-tears cause pain, swelling, redness and inflammation at the site of tearing.

Although running around, jumping and playing is generally great source of exercise for children, all of these activities cause more stress on the muscles and tendons. Every time the muscle is contracting, it can be causing micro-tears. That is why most of the pain is felt at night. The exercise during the day increases the inflammation, which feels worse at night.

In some instances, the difference between the bone length and the muscle length is so severe the muscle can start to splinter the bone under the knee cap. This can lead to extra bone growth on the tibia. It is easily treatable with rest, ice and massage.

How to help with the pain:
 Apply an ice pack or something cold to the area. Do not put ice directly on the skin, as it can cause frostbite. Place a damp tea towel around the pack and place that to the skin for 10-15 minutes.
 Elevate the knees or ankles. This will help drain the swelling out of the joint(s).
 Gently rub both sides of the joint using an upward and circular pressure. The pressure should go towards the heart. Use your finger tips or palms of your hands.