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How do they hurt? Don't they go numb? Warming doesn't relieve pain? Wrap up in a warm shower or in a blanket.
No, they don’t go numb, they don’t drag, but they hurt. She wraps them in a blanket, which means she helps at least a little
As a child, I also had pain in my legs, namely in my calves, but I didn’t notice much during the day, but at night I also cried because my legs were twisting a lot. By the age of 7, they say that this happens due to spasmodic growth .
To a psychologist? Children often attribute illnesses to themselves, attracting attention. Especially when it suddenly begins and ends unexpectedly... With good analyses..
Growing pains at night. Arthritis would have been found for you.
This is the case with us too. We visited the doctors, the orthopedist said that there were growing pains. Mostly at night. I give Nurofen half and not every time, so as not to get used to it.
Do they often hurt? It happens here in the evening, during the day, and even in the morning. It happens once a month, sometimes it hurts for a week in a row every day.
Yes, we were also told that we need to go to dance or athletics
My son’s legs hurt until he was 6 years old, he rubbed them with a warming ointment, now he is 8 years old, he rarely complains, apparently when his legs get cold. My feet also often hurt when I was a child. My dad made me walk barefoot on rocks and rivers in the summer, and over time my feet stopped hurting at night.
But by the way, yes, we were barefoot on the river all summer, and we never had an attack. Today happened for the first time since May
This happened to me as a child. Also, no matter which doctors my parents took me to, they didn’t really say anything. One answer is growing. But my legs still hurt so much sometimes. Any painkiller helps, even paracetamol 1/2 tablet. As a child, lying with my feet up on the wall also helped a little.
I had this happen as a child, I rubbed it with alcohol-based cologne, it helped a little, and as I got older I started taking painkiller pills. Then I realized that there was not enough calcium, my legs started to hurt, I ate cottage cheese, it went away
The middle one complained of pain in her leg, at first I thought she was making it up. But one morning she ran towards me and fell, she couldn’t get up anymore, her leg couldn’t straighten. We went to the surgeon on the same day, from the surgeon to the injury, from the injury to the hospital. Only the rheumatologist saw that it was arthritis, the rest shrugged their shoulders - the tests were clear, they didn’t see anything special in the picture. We took a course of medicine and applied Voltaren, on the second day I was already going well and nothing hurt. Now we are undergoing examination. We took biochemistry and are waiting for the results.
My daughter has connective tissue dyspdasia and, as a result, deformity of her legs. My legs have been hurting for a very long time. In this case, the idiot helps us. You can wrap your legs with a scarf or warm scarf. And a massage.
In general, we do massage, electrophoresis, and paraffin several times a year. At home, courses of chaoino-salt baths. After a course of treatment it becomes easier.
Growing pains. Nurofen and a hot bath help my son.
My son’s legs have been hurting since he was 5 years old, this is normal, he grows easily. When I have pain, I rub it with cologne and wrap my legs in a blanket, it helps us, try it
Have you tried calcium, magnesium, B vitamins?
We tried it, he drinks it in courses every six months. It has become less frequent, but there are still attacks
My hands hurt so much when I was a teenager. Turned out to be carpal tunnel syndrome.
My mother also bandaged me
You know, as a child, an iodine mesh helped me with such pain. And now it helps.
Where should I apply it? The entire leg from the knee and below? If everything hurts
Yes. Draw from the knee and below. Preferably overnight
I have two sons. The older one, up to 7 years old, had this, they were also examined, but the doctors did not reveal anything. Somehow it grew unnoticed. Now the youngest is 5 years old, it manifests itself more strongly for him, especially at night. The examinations also revealed nothing. I read on the forum on story.mi that this is due to intensive growth, they advised me to apply warming ointments, I applied turpentine. It helps, my son falls asleep. By the way, both sons are very tall, the eldest is 13 years old, height 185 cm, the youngest is 5 years old, height 134 cm. Try warming ointments, maybe you too due to intensive growth
We tried warming ones, but they didn’t help. So far only Nurofen helps
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Doctors note leg pain among all common childhood diseases. They can appear for a variety of reasons, both harmless and not so, when they serve as a symptom of the development of serious illnesses. If a child complains of pain in the legs, this may indicate the development of a number of diseases that have different causes and manifestations. Therefore, in each case, it is necessary to clearly clarify the exact localization of pain that can form in muscles, bones, and so on. Such sensations can occur at any age of the child, but in isolated cases there is no need to run to a medical facility, but it is not recommended to ignore severe attacks of pain. The first thing to do is to determine the source of the combat syndrome as precisely as possible.
The appearance of pain in the lower extremities is typical for children aged two to nine years. The peak of this disease is considered to be between five and six years of age. In this case, the child often complains of pain in the legs, especially when he has to stand or walk. It also happens that pain is observed in the morning, in the first half hour after waking up. Several decades ago, doctors explained this by the fact that the child’s body does not have enough vitamin D, as well as the rapid growth of the child.
But with the development of immunology, it became clear that in most cases pain is caused by inflammatory processes of a chronic nature, for example, inflammation of the adenoids or urinary tract, dysbiosis, etc. The reason for this is a rheumatic reaction to an infectious process. Reactions to vaccinations may also occur; in this case, children's immunity is weakened and tense, and it cannot cope with infections. Therefore, immune cells attack the tendons, causing pain at the muscle attachment points. With streptococcal infection, the child also complains that his legs hurt. There are many reasons for this disease; we will consider the most common of them below.
In childhood, the structure and development of bone tissue, ligaments, and muscles occurs, the features of which depend on nutrition, metabolism and growth rate. The child's legs and feet grow quickly, so there must be a good blood supply in these places. Tissues that grow are supplied with blood through blood vessels. But they have a small amount of elastic fibers, so during physical activity, blood circulation in the limbs increases, bones and muscles grow and develop normally. At rest, the child complains of pain in the legs, at night vascular tone decreases, and unpleasant sensations appear.
In childhood, pain and cramps often appear in the lower extremities, in particular in the muscles of the feet and calves, due to a lack of vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the body. Pain in joints and bones may also occur. In this case, deformation may be observed in the bones. Calcium deficiency can be determined using a blood test.
When a viral infection is observed in the body, a fever appears, the child complains of pain in the legs. Parents can give him paracetamol or other medicine for ARVI. Usually, after treating a cold, the pain syndrome disappears completely. But sometimes the pain is very severe and prolonged, in which case it is recommended to immediately call a doctor. Otherwise, complications may occur. Pain syndrome can also be observed with caries, tonsillitis, adenoids and other infectious diseases.
Bruises and injuries are the most common causes of leg pain, especially if the child is very active and energetic. They usually heal on their own and the pain goes away, but in some cases they can cause lameness. The child often cannot stand on his feet, so it is recommended to consult a specialist who will prescribe an x-ray to identify the causes of discomfort. Older children often strain the muscles in their lower extremities, as well as ligaments. Pain can also be caused by knee bruises, ingrown toenails, uncomfortable shoes and tendon sprains.
Such ailments are mainly observed in adolescents; they are caused by low blood pressure, decreased vascular tone, pain in the legs and other parts of the body. Pain often appears at night. In this case, the child complains of pain in the legs, head, abdomen, joints and bones, and heart. Sleep disturbance may occur. With congenital pathology of the cardiovascular system, blood flow is reduced, so children may stumble when walking and fall. This is due to the fact that fatigue and pain appear in the legs.
In some cases, children may develop scoliosis, flat feet, curvature of the spine and incorrect posture, as well as varicose veins and renal prolapse. In this case, the center of gravity is transferred to the legs, maximum pressure is applied, and the load on the muscles becomes large. All this provokes pain when running, walking and jumping.
If a person is overweight, the entire load falls on the joints and bones of the lower extremities, which are also growing. Therefore, they cannot cope with this load, which provokes the appearance of pain with minimal physical activity. If a child complains of pain in the legs, the causes of which lie in obesity, it is necessary to reduce weight with the help of diets, then the discomfort will go away.
They can provoke the appearance of pain in the limbs and osteochondropathy, which include:
Arthritis, which is an inflammation of the joints, is quite common in children. Often the child complains of pain in the legs, high fever, intoxication, lethargy, and lameness. The disease appears in some cases after a streptococcal infection, intestinal or genitourinary. The disease is caused by the immune system's reaction to antibodies. Sometimes the disease is chronic and constantly progresses, which can lead to disability.
Parents must first find out where the pain is localized: in a bone, joint or muscle. They should establish at what time the discomfort appears, what it is associated with, and when the pain first appeared. Then it is recommended to examine the child, determine whether there are redness and swelling on the limbs, whether the joint hurts when touched and whether it is hot, and also monitor the child’s movements. If necessary, you should seek help from a medical facility.
When a child complains of leg pain, which is accompanied by inflammation and redness of the joints, or if a fracture or sprain is suspected, as well as if there has been lameness for a long time, you should consult a doctor. He will make a diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. This is done by specialists such as a neurologist, hematologist, pediatrician or orthopedist. If the joint turns brown, this may indicate an infection has entered the body. If, for example, a 4-year-old child complains of leg pain in the morning for a long time, this may indicate that he has Still's disease or leukemia. Doctors will prescribe blood and urine tests, conduct diagnostics using ECG and X-rays, and then make an accurate diagnosis. In any case, parents are obliged to monitor their children, feed them properly, and not limit their movements. A child’s diet must contain all the nutrients necessary for the normal development of the body.
Having consulted a doctor and found out why the child complains of leg pain, it is necessary to carry out appropriate treatment. Thus, antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat arthritis. For Perthes disease, calcium and vitamins are prescribed, as well as electrophoresis and massage, and in some cases they resort to surgery. With Schlatter-Osgood disease, the child is restricted from movements that put stress on the knee joints. It is recommended to engage in swimming and therapeutic physical exercise. Anti-inflammatory and painkillers are also used, and electrophoresis is prescribed. For flat feet, it is necessary to use orthopedic shoes, massage and exercise therapy are indicated. VSD and hypotension require stabilization of blood pressure and increased vascular tone. If pain is associated with the growth of the child, it is recommended to rub the limbs with warming ointments, massage and foot baths.
Parents often hear their child complain of leg pain. Children aged 3 to 10 years are especially likely to experience such symptoms. During the day, as a rule, nothing bothers the baby. But in the evening or at night, unpleasant discomfort appears. Many parents attribute such symptoms to ordinary overwork and do not give them due importance. Such an attitude is unacceptable, and sometimes is fraught with the development of serious pathologies. Let's look at why leg pain may occur and in what cases you should consult a doctor.
This is the most common reason. Unpleasant sensations are provoked by a high growth rate and active metabolism. The discomfort may continue until puberty. After all, the growth of the baby at this time increases as a result of lengthening of the legs. In this case, the feet and legs grow most intensively. These are the areas that need increased blood circulation.
The vessels responsible for blood supply are not yet elastic enough at this age. Therefore, they function best under load. Thus, while the child is moving, he does not experience discomfort. But during rest, the tone of the arteries and veins decreases. Blood circulation deteriorates. As a result of this reason, a child’s legs most often hurt at night.
Caring parents should definitely listen to the complaints of the baby. After all, growing pains can be somewhat reduced. To do this, you just need to massage your baby’s legs and feet. As a result, blood circulation will increase, and discomfort will significantly decrease or disappear completely.
Various pathologies associated with the musculoskeletal system are considered fairly common phenomena in children. It can be:
Often, as a result of precisely such violations, a child’s legs hurt. The reasons are a shift in the center of gravity. The load is unevenly distributed on the lower limbs. Most often, one specific area of a child’s leg is affected: the foot, thigh, lower leg or joint.
Constant pressure causes the child's legs to hurt.
For an energetic and active baby, such phenomena are rather the norm. In most cases, bruises and sprains are completely insignificant. As a rule, the child complains of leg pain for a couple of days. Then everything goes away on its own.
However, in some situations the situation is more complicated. And if a serious injury is visible from the first minutes, then there are also microtraumas that are invisible to the human eye. Such conditions are often provoked by excessive physical activity, because modern children attend many sections and clubs.
The danger is that microtrauma is invisible to others, and even the child himself may not be aware of it. Namely, it can subsequently lead to serious complications.
Sharp pain in joints or muscles indicates tissue damage. If discomfort is accompanied by swelling or redness, as well as a local increase in temperature, be sure to consult a specialist. This condition requires careful diagnosis. After all, there could have been an infection. In this case, the child may develop septic arthritis. Inadequate treatment can lead to irreversible damage to the joint.
Sometimes the reasons why a child’s legs hurt may be hidden in the nasopharynx. This condition is caused by:
It is extremely important to implement the necessary preventive measures in a timely manner:
In some cases, leg pain is the first symptom of developing rheumatism or rheumatoid arthritis.
A similar clinic may arise against the background of pathologies of the endocrine system:
These ailments are accompanied by impaired bone mineralization. Sometimes discomfort in the legs is the first sign of certain blood pathologies. Therefore, if the pain is constant, parents should definitely show the baby to the doctor.
This is a disease that manifests itself as disorders of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. A child who has this pathology cannot tolerate any physical activity extremely well.
Most often, with this diagnosis, parents notice that their child’s legs hurt at night. Symptoms are quite often accompanied by the following clinic:
Discomfort in the legs is a clinical symptom of such ailments. Congenital arterial valve disease or coarctation of the aorta leads to insufficient blood supply to the extremities. As a result, the child experiences pain.
It is difficult for such babies to walk, they often fall, stumble, and get tired very quickly. In these conditions, the pulse in the arms can be felt, but in the legs it is practically absent.
This pathology is also congenital. It is characterized by insufficiency of tissues that make up the heart, veins, and ligaments.
In addition to painful sensations in the limbs, this condition can lead to:
Sometimes, against the background of colds, a child complains of pain in the legs. Flu and acute respiratory infections are often characterized by aching joints and loss of strength. Aching discomfort can cover the entire body.
This condition is not considered abnormal. Therefore, it does not need special attention. As a rule, a child with joint discomfort is prescribed the drug “Paracetamol”. It relieves discomfort.
After recovery, such symptoms completely disappear.
Often, parents whose children have reached the age of 3 notice that the child’s calves hurt. Similar symptoms can be caused by a lack of substances such as calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in the body. Bone tissue begins to grow rapidly, but they do not receive adequate nutrition.
This condition can be triggered by the wrong food. But sometimes a deficiency of substances is caused by poor absorption of these elements. This picture may indicate secondary rickets.
The disease is most often diagnosed in older children or teenagers. With this disease, the child’s legs hurt below the knee. In this case, the discomfort is acute. Pay attention to which area is bothering your child.
Schlatter's disease causes painful discomfort in the front of the knee joint, where the shinbone connects to the kneecap tendon. A characteristic feature of the pathology is the constancy of sensations. No matter what the child does, the pain does not subside. Discomfort bothers you during the day, at night, while moving, while at rest.
As a result, doctors are not ready to say what causes such a disease. But doctors note that most often the disease is diagnosed in children involved in sports.
If your child has pain in his legs, be sure to pay the necessary attention to the symptoms that arise. Sometimes such discomfort may indicate the development of a systemic, quite severe illness - Still's disease.
As a rule, the pathology is accompanied by:
If you notice such clinical manifestations in a child, consult a doctor. Sometimes such signs indicate the initial stage of Still's disease or leukemia.
If treated improperly, the child may experience serious consequences. Still's disease can cause significant vision loss.
So, if a child complains of pain in the legs, you should clearly understand when the discomfort is caused by serious reasons, and in what cases there is no reason for concern.
Growing pains are easily relieved by massage and a warm bath. If after such procedures the baby completely gets rid of discomfort, then there is no reason to panic. However, do not forget that frequent pain in the legs is a reason to visit a pediatrician, orthopedist, or surgeon. Such an event, in most cases, will help parents make sure that no pathologies have been identified in the baby. The baby is just growing rapidly.
Discomfort in the legs can be a “bell” of developing ailments if it is accompanied by symptoms:
If you notice any of the symptoms listed above, be sure to visit a doctor. Don’t give a chance for an unpleasant illness to develop in your child’s body.
It often happens that pain affects children. The appearance of pain of any origin requires contacting a pediatrician. Pain in the legs can be caused by many reasons.
During the growth of a child, there are features in:
As a child grows, his height increases largely due to the increase in leg length. Before full maturity, the legs and feet increase in length the most. In order for bones and tissues to grow, they need to be provided with nutrients, which means they need abundant blood flow. The vessels are capable of delivering the required amount of blood, but the content of elastic fibers in them is insufficient: their number will increase by the age of 7.
Physical activity improves blood circulation and, accordingly, nutrition of bones. During rest, at night, vascular tone decreases, blood flow decreases, which is why pain appears. When a child complains of such pain, you just need to massage the legs, the blood flow will increase, and the pain will go away.
The development of flat feet, scoliosis, and poor posture can cause pain in the legs. This is facilitated by such a symptom of these diseases as a displaced center of gravity, which leads to increased pressure from the entire mass on certain areas of the leg, for example, on the shins or joints. There are reasons that cause pain in the legs, such as pathologies in the joints of the hip skeleton and osteochondropathy (Perthes and Ostud-Schlatter diseases).
Developing tonsillitis, adenoiditis, and the presence of multiple caries often cause pain in the legs. To avoid their occurrence, it is necessary to clean the oral cavity in a timely manner and systematically go to the dentist and otolaryngologist.
Pain in the legs and joints can be the first symptom of the development of rheumatism, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. In this case, endocrine pathologies may be present such as:
All these are reasons for the disruption of the supply of minerals to bone tissues, which is why pain in the joints is observed. Blood disease can also lead to the development of arthritis of the leg joints. When a child complains of joint pain, you should immediately visit a doctor. Especially if, during the onset of such pain, Mantoux’s reaction was positive.
If a child complains of leg pain at night, one of the reasons for this is neurocircular dystonia. Associated symptoms are:
The presence of certain types of aortic valve defects and coarctation of the aorta can reduce blood flow to the lower extremities, which is why pain occurs. The following factors are also observed:
Inadequacy of connective tissues found in the heart valves, ligaments and blood vessels can cause pain in the legs. This anomaly contributes to:
After ARVI, consequences such as leg pain often appear. Even bowel disorders can cause pain. Therefore, it is necessary to remember all the factors preceding the onset of pain. This is necessary for correct diagnosis. It is also worth immediately taking all the necessary tests that the doctor prescribes.
Here are some tips that will help protect your child from ARVI and, consequently, from such consequences as pain in the legs.
If a child complains of severe pain in the legs and there are cramps, usually of the calf muscle, and spasms, muscle convulsions may be the cause. Such pain appears suddenly, for no apparent reason and with varying frequency. You can determine that these are convulsions by the spasms that are visible. Convulsions disappear as quickly as they appear, may appear again, or may never bother you again.
If a child complains of pain in the legs, then first you can simply massage them with light movements and stroking. This will increase blood flow to the leg muscles, which helps reduce pain. The appearance of pain caused by other factors requires urgent consultation with a doctor, after which a full diagnosis must be carried out.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the child’s condition, his temperature, and appetite. This will help the doctor correctly diagnose, and then prescribe correct and effective treatment. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable.
It is important to wear correct and comfortable shoes. Do not wear sports shoes such as sneakers for long periods of time. You only need to choose shoes by size. Proper and nutritious nutrition and physical activity are necessary for normal growth and strengthening of muscles and bones, then the question is: “Why does the child complain of pain in the legs?” - won't bother you.
Even small patients can complain of pain in the knee area - and adults should never ignore these complaints or perceive them as a simple whim. There are many reasons for the appearance of pain, discomfort and unpleasant sensations in the knees of children: from ordinary sprains of tendons and ligaments or bruises that a child can receive during outdoor children's games, to more serious injuries, flat feet and even systemic diseases. To understand the nature of the occurrence of this symptom, we first consider the structural features of the knee joint.
The knee is a joint connecting the patella, tibia and femur. Between the lower and upper bones of the knee are two discs (meniscus). In children, the knee joint consists of cartilage, bones and ligaments. A defect in any of these components may explain why a child has knee pain.
Knee injury or contusion is the most common cause of limping in children. They usually heal without major medical intervention after some time. However, if your child has knee pain for more than a week, then you should consult a doctor. The specialist will explain to you whether the baby’s movements are limited, determine the exact cause of the disease, and prescribe effective treatment.
There are many reasons for the appearance of this pathology, which can only be determined with the help of a qualified doctor. Often, if a child’s knees hurt at night or in the afternoon, osteopaths talk about this phenomenon as “growing pains.” There is an opinion that during active growing up (3-12 years) in many children, the muscular system “does not keep up” with the rapid development of bones, which is why the ligaments and muscles are constantly under tension, which explains the unpleasant sensations. The pain can be barely noticeable or be quite intense and disturb the child for several minutes, or even hours. Other more serious reasons that provoke pain in the knee area in children include:
Osgood-Schlatter disease. It is because of this disease that children often have knee pain. It is characterized by severe pain in the front of the leg below the kneecap. This pathology occurs mainly in boys aged 11-15 years and in girls aged 8-13 years. Osgood-Schlatter disease can occur in boys during a growth spurt and is accompanied by severe swelling and tenderness just below the knee, above the shinbone.
Osteochondritis dissecans. In this disease, a piece of knee cartilage separates from the adjacent bone. This condition leads to pain and instability in the knee joint. The child experiences discomfort when moving; there may be quite severe swelling and tugging pain that does not allow walking. Diagnosis of this pathology is carried out using ultrasound and x-ray studies. To eliminate severe symptoms of pain in the knee joint and eliminate the effects of osteochondritis dissecans, doctors sometimes resort to arthroscopic surgery. In mild forms of the disease, such radical measures are not needed - the pain goes away on its own.
Knee pain syndrome. With this disease, the child has pain in the knees due to physical activity (running, jumping, bending the knees, climbing, etc.). Pain may also occur due to deformation of the cartilage layer covering part of the kneecap. All circumstances that provoke exacerbation of pain in the knee joint in children must be carefully monitored. To reduce swelling and pain in the knee, doctors use various anti-inflammatory drugs.
Patella dislocation. Another reason why a child’s knees hurt is a luxated kneecap. As a result, pain and swelling of the joint occur. Patellar dislocation is usually observed in girls. The displaced kneecap in most cases returns back to its place without additional treatment.
Still's disease (systemic rheumatoid arthritis). This is the least common condition that explains why a child has knee pain. It can develop at almost any age. Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include joint pain, rash, swollen glands, fever, lack of energy, fatigue and weight loss. All types of Still's disease can affect a child until he or she becomes an adult. In the meantime, your podiatrist may recommend special insoles and orthopedic shoes to protect and support your feet while walking. Anti-inflammatory medications are also used to reduce inflammation and pain in the knee.
If you suspect that your child has torn ligaments in his knee as a result of a serious injury, you should seek professional medical attention as soon as possible. In the meantime, you can reduce your baby's knee pain and swelling with simple, accessible remedies. So, for “growing pains”, which were mentioned at the beginning of the article, as practice shows, an effective “pain reliever” is a light relaxing massage, which you can do yourself. If your child has knee pain at night, use a compression bandage to support the ankle. Raise your baby's legs just above the hips and let them rest on the pillow while the baby sleeps.
If knee pain is the result of an injury, then try placing the baby’s feet in something cold or applying ice to the knee joint (to avoid an “ice burn,” it is better to wrap the ice in a towel).
Rheumatoid arthritis requires exclusively individual treatment and further prevention of exacerbations. Flat feet and other systemic diseases should also be accompanied by targeted professional supervision. If a child has knee pain, lameness, or swelling in the joint area, this is a reason to immediately consult a doctor.
If pain in the knees is caused by high physical activity, it may make sense to reduce it (for example, change the training regimen) or perform the missed adaptation work for the child.
Every second child suffers from leg pain and in most cases they have nothing to do with injuries and do not require any intensive treatment. However, it is necessary to know what they are and how to alleviate the child’s suffering.
Children grow unevenly - growth spurts occur at 5-6, 9-10 and 13-15 years. These are the periods of the most rapid growth of the child’s limbs and the time when children most often complain of causeless aches in the legs, which can cause quite serious suffering.
Science cannot say for sure what exactly causes pain, but it happens - that's a fact. And not a single child is safe from it. Most likely, the exact source of pain is in the area of the bones, which grow too quickly (up to 20 centimeters per year!), the periosteum does not keep up with them and stretches, irritating the pain receptors.
Distinguishing growing pains from injury or illness is fairly easy. Growing pains are not accompanied by fever, swelling or any other symptoms. If a child complains that his leg hurts here and there and upon examination it is obvious that there is nothing - this is almost certainly growing pains. In the case of 5-6 year old children, it is often a sin for parents to even think that the child is making things up or being capricious. Growing pains also rarely last very long. They are volatile and somewhere phantom.
It is never harmful to show a child to a doctor if he complains of such pain (still, according to the rules, this should be done once a year), but if the doctor states that there are no injuries or illnesses, he is unlikely to be able to effectively help in the fight against growing pains. The doctor will most likely talk about the importance of good nutrition during periods of rapid growth and, perhaps, prescribe a complex of vitamins. He also recommends protecting children from stress during this period and creating a friendly environment around them. But this must always be done.
To alleviate the suffering of a child, if he complains of growing pains, it is necessary not to put any physical strain on him, but to massage the sore leg a little and lightly (lightly!). You can also rub in warming ointments and balms, but without fanaticism, especially when it comes to babies. You can also give your child a warm bath or apply a heating pad to the sore spot. No painkillers, let alone antibiotics, should be given without a doctor’s prescription!
One of the main areas of work of our clinic is child neurology, psychology and psychiatry, and pediatric epileptology. We work in constant contact with the parents of our little patients: you will be able to keep in touch with your doctor by phone and email. We will be happy to help you and your children!
In most cases, leg pain occurs in children with chronic infections (adenoiditis, tonsillitis, urinary tract infection). The reason is inflammation and pain at the points of muscle attachment - tendons, a kind of rheumatic reaction to an infectious process. It is also often possible to detect a reduced level of vitamin D in a blood test. Usually both of these problems are 100% solvable. Previously, it was believed that leg pain in children was “growing pain,” but it turned out that not all rapidly growing children have leg pain.
The appearance of pain in the legs is typical for a child between the ages of 2-3 and 5-9 years. The peak of this phenomenon occurs in the period of 5-6 years.
The child complains about his legs, says that his legs hurt when he has to walk or stand for a long time. There is also pain in the legs in the morning, then the child complains of pain in the legs in the first half hour to an hour after waking up.
Previously, doctors explained this by a deficiency of vitamin D in the body and growth disproportion, when muscle growth lags behind bone growth. However, with the development of immunology, it became clear that leg pain occurs more often in children with any chronic inflammatory processes. Most often these are inflamed adenoids or tonsils. intestinal dysbiosis, chronic urinary tract infection, against a background of weakened immunity. It can also be in the form of an incorrect reaction of the immune system to the vaccine. For these reasons, the child's immune system is in a tense state.
An infection that the immune system cannot cope with in the usual way causes the activation of “reserve” immune mechanisms with increased activation of some immune-competent cells. And these cells, under the influence of infection, can attack healthy tendons, causing inflammation and pain at the muscle attachment points. Pain occurs precisely in the places where the muscles attach to the bones; these points are easily detected by palpation and are sometimes visible on muscle ultrasound.
Very often, pain in the legs is accompanied by a streptococcal infection with an increased level of Antistreptolysin “O” (ASLO) in the blood. ASLO are antibodies produced in response to streptococcal infection. Antibodies to streptococcus can attack muscles and tendons due to the similarity of some streptococcal antigens to human connective tissue antigens.
First of all, we recommend that you seek advice and examination from a pediatric neurologist or pediatric immunologist. Swollen and painful tendon bursae of the legs are not difficult to find with simple palpation. The diagnosis can be confirmed by muscle ultrasound and blood test data. In difficult cases, we will suggest that you can do an immunogram, which will allow you to find out the current state of the immune system. It is not difficult to identify which infections provoke pain in the legs of a child using a PCR test of saliva for viruses of the herpes group. bacteriological culture of urine, swabs from the throat and nose, blood tests for antibodies to infections.
The treatment plan will be based on the results of the research: the causative microbe will be identified, an error in the functioning of the immune system will be found, and the concentration of vitamin D in the blood will be determined. If chronic infections are detected, we will offer to treat the infection and restore the normal bacterial balance of the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, and, of course, the digestive tract. Particular attention should be paid to the functioning of the intestines, because the state of the entire immune system largely depends on the state of the intestines.
Leg pain usually subsides within the first 3-5 weeks of treatment. In addition, the child may become more resistant to various types of respiratory infections, which has a better effect on the child’s general condition.
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Quite often, children from three to ten years old complain of pain in their legs, but parents, as a rule, do not always pay attention to this, believing that the child has simply run around and is overtired. However, it is worth taking such child complaints seriously, since pain in the legs can be a symptom of serious illnesses.
1. Growing pains. Before puberty, a child increases the length of his body mainly due to the growth of his legs, and the feet and legs grow most rapidly. It is in such places where rapid tissue growth and differentiation occurs that it is necessary to ensure abundant blood flow. And if, during the child’s motor activity, muscles work, promoting the growth and development of bones, so blood circulation in them improves, then at night, when the child sleeps, the intensity of blood flow decreases, which leads to pain.
What to do if your child’s legs hurt at night? It is necessary to increase blood flow to the muscles of the legs and feet. To do this, simply stroke and massage your baby's shins.
2. Orthopedic pathologies. In case of poor posture. In scoliosis and flat feet, the center of gravity shifts, and the greatest pressure of the body falls on some part of the leg (foot, lower leg, hip or joint). Congenital pathology of the hip joints can also lead to pain in the legs.
3. Chronic foci of infections. Tonsillitis, adenoiditis and multiple caries can also lead to leg pain. Therefore, it is important to sanitize the oral cavity in a timely manner by visiting a dentist and otolaryngologist.
4. Rheumatoid arthritis. If a child complains of pain in the legs in the joint area, this may be the first sign of rheumatism or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
5. Endocrine pathologies. Also, pain in the legs can appear with diabetes mellitus, disease of the adrenal glands, parathyroid gland, leading to impaired mineralization of bone tissue.
6. Blood diseases. A number of blood diseases begin with pain in the legs, arthritis of the knee and ankle joints.
7. Tuberculosis. If pain in the legs is accompanied by a positive Mantoux reaction, the child must be shown to a phthisiatrician.
8. Neurocirculatory dystonia of the hypotonic type. Very often, pain in the legs occurs in children with neurocirculatory dystonia of the hypotonic type, especially at night. In this case, the child may also experience headache, insomnia, discomfort in the heart and abdomen, and a feeling of lack of air.
9. Congenital pathology of the heart and blood vessels. Pain in the legs of a child may be a manifestation of congenital pathology of the heart and blood vessels. With some congenital defects of the aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta, there is a decrease in blood flow in the lower extremities, as a result of which while walking the child may stumble, fall, complain that his legs are tired, hurt and do not obey. If you compare the pulse in the arms and legs of such children, then in the lower extremities it will be weakly palpable or absent altogether.
10. Anomaly of connective tissue. One of the causes of pain in the legs is the congenital deficiency of connective tissue, which is part of the valve apparatus of the heart, venous vessels, and ligaments. Children with this connective tissue abnormality may have joint hypermobility and flat feet. scoliosis, poor posture, nephroptosis (prolapse of the kidneys), varicose veins.
WHAT TO DO IF A CHILD COMPLAINS OF PAIN IN LEGS
If a child complains that his legs hurt, examine him, paying attention not only to his legs, but also to his general well-being:
It is necessary to inform the doctor about all this in order to diagnose the disease in a timely manner and undergo the prescribed laboratory tests (general blood test, urine test, biochemical blood test, ECG and other diagnostic measures) as quickly as possible.
Observe your child while he is awake and while he sleeps.
Watch your child's shoes. Avoid wearing sneakers for long periods of time. Try to have shoes that fit properly and have hard soles.
Do not limit your child's movement . Remember that it helps strengthen muscles and bone growth.
Take care of good nutrition . include in your diet more vegetables, fruits, lactic acid products, fish - everything that is necessary for the normal growth and development of the child.
A variety of diseases can cause leg pain in children. Parents need to pay due attention to children’s complaints of pain in the lower extremities, ask the child where exactly and how the leg hurts, and monitor changes in the child’s gait. This will help prevent the disease or detect it at an early stage. Most complaints of leg pain are due to bruises and sprains during active games. Severe pain and swelling requires medical intervention. A fifth of children experience leg pain in the evening. This is a consequence of the growth of bone and muscle tissue.
Swollen and painful joints require serious examination. All kinds of orthopedic problems associated with abnormalities in the spine, pelvis and feet, as well as heart pathology, which may cause pain in the legs of children. Contact a specialist immediately if there is a suspicion of a fracture or serious injury, if your baby limps for several days without any reason, if there is inflammation and redness of the joints of the foot, lower leg, knee or hip.
During the period of growth, a child’s body has its own characteristics in the structure of the vascular system, which is responsible for nourishing bones and muscles. Children grow rapidly and have an increased metabolism. The fastest growth occurs in the feet and legs. It is in places of intensive growth that an abundant flow of blood through the vessels is necessary, but up to 7 years the vessels have a reduced content of elastic fibers.
Blood circulates well during the daytime (the child’s active period), when muscles work and, through their movement, help bones grow. At night, blood flow decreases and pain occurs. In this case, it is enough to massage the baby’s legs so that the pain goes away.
Leg pain can occur due to congenital or acquired pathology. Scoliosis, flat feet, and poor posture lead to a change in the center of gravity of the body. More pressure is placed on some part of the leg and leads to pain. The presence of a chronic infection in the nasopharynx, manifested in the form of tonsillitis, inflammation of the adenoids, and multiple caries can cause leg pain. This is why a timely medical examination will prevent the problem.
Sharp pain in the front of the knee (the junction of the patellar tendon and the tibia) is characteristic of Schlatter's disease. It is observed in adolescents who regularly engage in sports. The exact cause of the disease has not been established. Children after three years of age may have serious pain in the calf muscles. This is an indicator of a lack of calcium and phosphorus in the bones or poor absorption of these substances. Sudden pain in a leg joint is an indicator of injury and a reason for medical consultation.
Pain in the lower extremities in children can be a concomitant factor in disorders of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, pathology of the adrenal glands, thyroid disease). Some blood diseases also begin with pain in the legs. Congenital cardiac and vascular pathologies cause frequent trips and falls in the child while walking and pain in the legs. This is due to reduced blood flow in the legs.
The source of pain in the lower extremities of a child may be congenital underdevelopment of connective tissue. It is part of the heart, ligaments, and blood vessels. With this pathology, it is possible to develop flat feet, high joint mobility, varicose veins, scoliosis, and kidney prolapse. Joint pain that occurs against the background of lumbago or general poor health, mainly in the morning, requires close attention. These may be warning signs of leukemia. Pain in the joints of the whole body is characteristic of the flu.
Lameness in a child can be caused by stress or too strong emotions. Observe his mood; if the limp does not go away after a night's rest, show him to the doctor. Perhaps the cause of lameness is a bruise, uncomfortable shoes, inflammation on the fingers, redness on the joints. Visual observation of children’s behavior, examination, and questioning of their child will help parents prevent diseases in a timely manner and contact specialists in the early stages of disease development.
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As soon as the child reports pain in the legs or you yourself notice that the cause of the baby’s anxiety is hidden in the legs, it is necessary to examine him. Pay attention not only to the legs, but also to the general well-being, his appetite, measure the temperature, determine when exactly the pain appeared, how it manifests itself. Tell your doctor in detail about your observations, who will conduct a diagnosis, prescribe the necessary tests and determine the cause of the pain.
In most cases, pain in the legs in children is a consequence of the child’s intensive growth or the result of a minor injury; it does not pose a threat to health and disappears over time. However, not all cases are so harmless. Leg pain can occur in children of any age, starting from birth.
Pain in the legs can be a sign of a serious pathology, an orthopedic disease, which, if neglected, leads to disability for the child. There are many reasons for pain in the legs. It is difficult to understand them on your own. That is why it is so important to take reasonable measures in time.