Leg pain at night

For some weeks DD has woken up at least once, often two or three times, with pains in her leg, so bad that she is crying. We try to massage her leg, flex and stretch it a bit, sometimes a warm hot watter bottle also helps, but it often takes half an hour or so to get her back to sleep. This started quite a while ago, but is getting steadily worse and the lack of sleep is not good for her or me.

To me, this sounds like what my mum called "growing pains" when I was a child and I was always told there is nothing one can do to help. I will talk to our pedi at the next well-child check but until then I would love to hear any tips that may help her.

 

Alice has/had bad growing pains, and I remember having them myself growing up and just how miserable they made me. So, when she wakes up in the middle of the night with growing pains, I give her Advil. Probably not the answer you were looking for.

 

I give tylenol or advil too.

 

Thanks. You are right, of course. I was hoping to avoid pain killers, as we try to limit medications in general and use other remedies for the smaller everyday stuff if possible.

 

One of my twins gets this off and on, even now. I think he started around 3-4. I have always given him Tylenol for it, assuming it was 'growing pains.' I had asked his pediatrician years ago and he said the same thing.

 

Does she get enough time in the sun? Vitamin D deficiency can cause pretty bad leg pain, too. One of my girls has problems with her vision in sunlight so doesn't like being out in it and turned out to have a fairly severe vitamin D issue. Getting her on supplements helped her leg aches. But my boys don't have that problem at all and still get the awful growing pains.

 

Growing pains, and advil here. Heat or cold packs can help too.

 

My son got it before too. I started making him eat banana and daily vitamins. He hasn't had it for a while. Also check to make sure she has the right shoes meaning from toes to top shoes should be 1/2 to almost 1 inch room there. And if she is very active, I'd reduce physical activities for a while.

Hope she gets better soon. Gl!

 

Thank you, I did not know that. This could be a reason why it has been getting worse over the last weeks - our spring weather has been unseasonally cold and wet, hardly any sun to be had, and DD is more of a good weather outside play-girl, so her vitamin D store may be depleted after a long winter and this dreadful spring. I will ask my pedi if we should try a supplement.