What are growing pains around the knee?
Growing pains are spontaneous, sporadic aches in the legs, mostly around the knee, that children usually feel at night. The pain can be intense enough to wake a child from sleep, which understandably worries parents and often leads them to bring their child in for an examination by a paediatric orthopaedic specialist. Although growing pains are a common complaint in children aged 3 to 8, relatively little is actually known about why they occur. However, growing pains are characterised by night-time, or sometimes afternoon, aches of the same character in both legs, either at the same time or separately. Since growing pains most often occur in preschool children, they are not directly linked to the period of intense growth spurt that is most pronounced during adolescence. It is important to reassure parents that growing pains are a completely harmless condition that resolves on its own without any negative consequences for the child.
How are growing pains around the knee diagnosed?
If a child complains of pain sometimes in the left leg and sometimes equally in the right, and the knees look normal on clinical examination (no swelling, redness, pain on palpation, restricted movement or signs of instability), and the pain eases when a parent gently strokes the sore area, we can be fairly confident it is growing pains. Sometimes the inner side of the lower leg is painful, which can be a sign of fatigue in the tibialis posterior muscle. However, if the pain persistently occurs in the same spot over a longer period, or if changes are noticed on the skin, an X-ray of the painful area should definitely be taken. Intense pain in the same spot that wakes a child from sleep can be a sign of inflammation or a tumour, so such children need a thorough work-up.
How are growing pains around the knee treated?
The best remedy for growing pains is loving care and attention. Since young preschool-aged children often process the events of the day intensely at night, it is important for them to feel their parents’ presence and care during this period. It can help to massage the painful areas with an anti-inflammatory ointment now and then, rather than giving syrups, since physical contact is more intense that way. In children who have growing pains over a longer period, orthopaedic insoles may be prescribed.
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