Growing Pains

October 16, 2018

Children can often experience aches and pains in the evenings or during the night commonly known as growing pains – that can be uncomfortable for them, but also make parents feel helpless to ease their child’s discomfort.

The good news is there are a lot of different things that can be done to help with growing pains.

So we’ve asked one of our Physios to shed some light on this topic and clarify what growing pains are and what you can do about them.

What are growing pains?

Growing pains are aches experienced by children in their legs, typically at night and during periods of rapid growth. Children with growing pains:

Occasionally wake up feeling stiffness in their legs
Can wake up in the middle of the night with leg pain
Often feel discomfort in their legs after playing sport
Sometimes feel discomfort in their legs when resting

Why do they occur?

There isn’t any conclusive research to show why growing pains occur, but there are several factors that can contribute to it – such as the rate of your child’s growth, the volume and intensity of physical activity, tight muscles, weight, foot posture, and many other factors. Growing pains tend to be more prevalent in active children and they can be common amongst siblings.

So what can you do?

Physiotherapy can help assess, diagnose and recommend the best treatment options to help alleviate growing pains. This may include regular Massage, the use of orthotics (custom-made insoles), a strengthening programme, anti-inflammatories, and much more.

Children can often continue with their sports or activities during treatment, and our Physios will advise them on how best to do this.

At the Clinic, all our Physiotherapists are experienced in treating children, so if your child or grandchild suffers from growing pains, don’t ignore them.