Kids between the ages of three and twelve may experience growing pains. KidsStreet Urgent Care is here to help you understand growing pains in your children, as well as how to treat the symptoms!
What Are Growing Pains?
Growing pains are most closely associated with the bones and muscles, also known as the musculoskeletal system. These pains are most common in children.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no evidence that these pains are caused by your children’s bones or muscles physically growing. Pains are more so linked to overuse or restless leg syndrome. Growing pains are not the same as growth spurts.
What Causes Growing Pains in Kids?
While there are no concrete reasons why your child may be experiencing growth pains, some research shows that some kids are more likely to experience them than others. These include:
- Children who participate in rigorous physical activity during the day or play sports.
- Kids who do not have good bone strength.
What Are The Symptoms?
The symptoms of growing pains are the same across most kids. As previously mentioned, children will likely feel these pains in their thighs, shins, calves, or the areas behind their knees.
The symptoms vary from child to child, meaning that not all children experience this. For children who do suffer with growing pains, the child may feel a wide range of pain. This consists of dull, achy, and throbbing pain to more severe cramp-like pain.
Kids are most likely to experience this pain at night or during the evening. Pain can last anywhere from a number of minutes to a few hours.
If your child experiences persistent and severe leg pains for a number of days, call 911 or visit your local emergency room.
Diagnosing Growing Pains
Growth pains are generally self-diagnosed, especially if your child’s symptoms are similar to those listed above. However, if you need help getting your child’s growing pains diagnosed, you can get your child a physical exam at their pediatric provider’s office to better gauge if this is what is affecting them.
At KidsStreet Urgent Care, we can diagnose and help treat growing pains with our pediatric urgent care services.
Treating Your Child’s Pains
Getting your child’s growing pains treated can be done at home! Best practices for helping your child feel better and pain free include:
- Over the counter pain medicine
- Conduct a gentle massage on the affected areas
- Use heating pads on the legs
- Reduce your child’s physical activity until the pains cease
Turn To KidsStreet Urgent Care
Is your child experiencing growth pains? KidsStreet can help!
To visit a clinic, register online. This will allow you and your child to wait from anywhere! We’ll send you a text when it’s time to head to the clinic.
We love walk-ins, and accept them at all times we are open. However, please be aware that walk-in patients are added to the same queue as those who register online so they may experience longer in-clinic wait times.