What exactly is “growing pains”?
Growing pains are a physiological phenomenon that is unique to children during their growth spurt and are most common in children between the ages of 3 and 12 who are growing normally. It is pain around the knee joint or on the front side of the lower leg in children who have no history of trauma to these areas and have normal movement, with no redness, swelling or pressure on the local tissues. After examination, the child is considered to have “growing pains” when the possibility of other diseases is ruled out.
Growing pains have 3 main characteristics
The doctor will first check whether the pain is caused by other diseases, and only after other possible causes have been ruled out will the baby be considered to have “growing pains”. Therefore, it is necessary for parents to understand in advance and get more accurate information in order to cooperate with the doctor’s diagnosis.
Feature 1: Mostly lower limb pain
Growing pains most commonly occur in the front of the knees, calves and thighs, occasionally in the groin area, and the pain is usually outside the joints. Typically, the pain is bilateral, but there is also pain on one side.
Feature 2: Mostly muscular pain
Growing pains are primarily muscular, not joint or bone pains. There is also no redness, swelling or heat in the area of pain.
Feature 3: Pain occurs mostly at night
The most important characteristic of growing pains is that they almost always occur at night. Does the child not feel pain during the day? This is not true. During the day, children are more active, so even if they feel uncomfortable, they may not notice it because they are focused on other things. At night, when the child is relaxed and ready to rest, the “pain” can be particularly uncomfortable and unbearable.
Although growing pains are not a disease, parents should take their children to the hospital as soon as possible to have them diagnosed, and should not judge or ignore the condition on their own.
Are “growing pains” a calcium deficiency?
There are still different opinions about the relationship between growing pains and calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase. Some people believe that there is no relationship between growing pains and blood calcium and phosphorus levels, and in a survey of 2,837 elementary and middle school students in a school, all children who met the diagnosis of growing pains had blood calcium and phosphorus levels within the normal range. However, some scholars’ studies suggest that the occurrence of growing pains in children is related to the lack of calcium, which may be due to the development of bones in children and neuromuscular tension that leads to pulling pain. In addition, calcium has an inhibitory effect on nerve excitation, and calcium deficiency can increase neuromuscular excitability, thus causing muscle pain or muscle spasm, etc.
What can parents do about growing pains in children?
To properly relieve “growing pains”, you may wish to learn the following methods.
1.Distract attention
Tell stories, play games, play with toys, watch cartoons and other methods to attract the baby. Treat your baby more gently and considerately than usual, and parental encouragement and moral support are the most important remedies for pain relief.
2.Local hot compress and massage
Mom and dad can use a hot towel to massage or hot compress on the baby’s painful parts, which can ease the child’s tension and thus relieve the discomfort caused by pain. When massaging, be sure to pay attention to the kneading strength, so that the baby sleeps under the gentle touch.
3.Supplement nutrients
Let your baby take more nutrients that promote the growth of cartilage tissue. Milk, bones, walnuts and eggs all contain elastin and collagen. Vitamin C is good for collagen synthesis, let your baby eat more green vegetables, leeks, spinach, citrus, grapefruit, etc.
4. Reduce strenuous exercise
”Growing pains are not a disease and do not require restriction of activities, but if the pain is heavy, let the child rest more and relax the muscles and do not engage in strenuous activities.
Growing pains are a physiological phenomenon unique to children during their growth and development, mostly seen in children aged 3-12 with normal growth and development.