Mom to Mom Contributor
It's a cry that wakes parents up in the middle of a night: your child's legs ache; she has growing pains. They can strike anytime, but are most common in preschool and school age children. Our Channel Six pediatrician helps families find some relief.
Three-year-old Elizabeth Wagstaff is just in for a well check, but that doesn't stop Dr. Clancy McNally from looking for signs of growing pains. Many children experience them at Elizabeth's age.
Dr. McNally says, "Growing pains are pains that we see in children without other causes. They sometimes occur during periods of rapid growth. More likely than not, they tend to be when kids are more active running around. Those are the nights they tend to complain about them."
The deep, aching pain is usually in both sides of the legs with no other symptoms. It usually improves with Tylenol or Ibuprofen or by applying a warm washcloth or heating pad. Other issues could mean it's time to see a doctor.
Dr. McNally says, "Any swelling, bruising, redness, unusual rashes, if the pain is just on one side, those are things that really need to be checked out because they tend not to go along with growing pains."
No one is certain why some kids get them and others, like Elizabeth, do not. Dr. McNally thinks that some kids might just be more sensitive to pain.
There's a big window for growing pains to pop up. Children can get them from age two, all the way up to age 12.
