How Long Do Growing Pains Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Few Hours To A Year

There are many medical changes a body goes through which are similar to some other changes, although some look the same, but are different. Growth spurts and growth pains look the same but are different. Growth pains are probably one of the changes that are overlooked by parents when it happens to their children. Growth pains are neglected since people think these aches can happen for any reason. Growing pains are moderate to severe muscle pains and they can be crampy too.

There is no need to test the body to diagnose if the person is affected with growth pains, and the most important thing to know about growing pains is that it affects children. Some health care experts would recommend X-rays and blood tests to be sure that there is nothing else. Not all leg pains are growing pains, so it is better to check every possibility.

Growth pains don’t actually have any sort of underlying reason, hence there is no right treatment or cure for this. Growth pains affect the limbs, especially the legs of children. This happens when the children are growing and growing pains can happen during both day and night, but it normally happens during the night.

How Long Do Growing Pains Last?

The pain will affect the child behind the knees, thighs, calves, and shins. Medications are available over the counter and there is nothing that determines what causes this pain. The child will experience cramps and aching pains, and the musculoskeletal system will be affected by these growing pains.

Normally, growing pains happen to people within the age of three to twelve, these pains occur in both girls and boys. When the child reaches its teenage, the growing pains will cease to exist. People confuse growing pains and growth spurts. Growth spurts happen in babies and infants, but growing pains occur in teenagers.

When growing pains happen, the tendons start growing as well as the bones. The pain will disappear by morning, and there will be no kind of stiffness or any after effect.

Why Do Growing Pains Last That Long?

The only symptoms and signs are the pain, there are no other signs or symptoms that show the onset of these growing pains.

Children who have a lower pain threshold also experience headaches and abdominal pain at times, and high levels of physical activity can induce growing pains. People who have growing pains also have flexible joints, and sometimes they have flat feet, and growing pains can also be caused by hypermobility. Growing pains can also be induced by low levels of vitamin D.

When a child experiences growing pains, the pain can be located and if the pain is unbearable, there are, medications that help the children deal with the pain if it is unbearable. Physical activities like playing sports, jumping, being athletic, jumping, and exercising should be reduced to reduce the growing pains.

When the pain is beyond bearable, the doctors will suggest some laboratory tests or scans that will help them identify if there is an underlying problem other than the growing pains. Although there isn’t any specific treatment that can be used to subdue the pain.

Conclusion

Massaging the painful areas of the leg gently, stretching the muscles gently, and placing a heating pad on the painful area.

Sometimes, increasing physical activity can help, but sometimes decreasing it can help. There are OTC medications like Tylenol, Advil, and Aleve that can help with the pain. These growing pains do not cause any serious problems, but frequent episodes of these growing pains can disrupt the children’s mental health.

Drawing up a warm bath can help ease up the pain. Using physical activities to relax the muscles will also help. It is time to visit a doctor when the signs and symptoms include limping, redness, severe pain, fever, formations of lumps in the muscle, and swelling that doesn’t go down even after 24 hours.

References

1. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10067-007-0690-2.pdf
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1911-3846.12122