New to this forum...

Hello everyone,
This is my 1st visit to 5-11. I have been on TS for a year though in the FY, BF, large fam. and parents club. Anyway I have a quick question about growing pains in an 8yo.

My Step DD is 8 and she is the tallest girl in her class, I cant tell you how many inches she has grown this year... But ALOT!! Since June or so she has been complaining about her legs hurting really bad in the shin and calf area and sometimes in her knees. I have always thought it was growing pains and they seemed to be eased with motrin and a hot bath. For the last three nights she has been in tears before bed because her legs are "aching" so bad...this is the most days consecutively that she has complained. I also want to add that the weather changed severely for the 1st time this winter about 4 days ago and we have been BITTER cold (-25) here for the last two. Could this be a cause of her pain?

Does this sound like regular old growing pains? What ARE growing pains really??? I mean WHAT causes the pain ie muscles, bones?? If they are, what are some other tips for dealing with them/easing them? Anyway any and all advice is apreciated! TIA!

 

WEll, my dd (now 8) has really bad growing pains too. THey will even wake her in the kiddl eof the night and she will just cry cry cry. The only thing I have tried is motrin or Tylenol as it seems to work just fine for her.

What casues them?? Not sure exactly except I imagine the stretching of the joints, muscles, etc. I'm sur esomeone here knows.

Sounds like your sd could be having the same thing. I would keep an eye on it and if it doesn't stop soon, can't hurt to bring her to the doctor to make sure that's what it is.

Good luck!

 

Jackson has suffered from growing pains, but it's been a while. He got them more a few years ago. I believe they're very real, though. I remember once we were on vacation at a waterpark resort, and he could barely get out of bed, and walking down the hall was very painful for him.

 

Sean used to complain sometimes about growing pains as well. We'd just give him Tylenol and that seemed to ease his pain. He isn't one to complain much, though, so that was really the extent of it. It would happen on occasion from the age of 8 to about 11.

 

Thanks everyone!! So far the motrin + bath seem to get her right to sleep. Do these happen all day or did you all notice it was usually at night??

 

Night time was when Sean would complain of it.

 

I've heard they usually seem to be worse at night. I don't know if that's because the child is inactive so it's more noticeable or what. Here's a link with more info on growing pains.

 

I remember those pains, kind of like shin splints!!!!! However, they were not, and it was much worse. Mine were stress fractures in both of my legs!!!! For the longest time, everyone thought that it was growing pains/shin splints. I think mine started in the 7th grade and it wasn't until my 8th grade year that my parents finally took my to an otho and they did x-rays to determine that I had stress fractures in both lower legs. I was put in knee high air casts for about 6 months to 1 year while doing any activities. I played 3 sports during the school year and play summer softball and volleyball, plus camps. Then my sophomore year in high school, I played varsity softball and was on base running past second and turned to go back and snap, my left leg broke. I would recommend taking her to get a more specialized exam to make sure that it is not something like stress fractures. They are very painful and do not just go away on their own.

 

There was THIS thread about growing pains in the 1-4 forum recently. There were some interesting suggestions given, so you might want to read through it. I remember someone mentioned rubbing alcohol and also potassium. I know that eating a banana after a particularly strenuous day can help ease muscle pain, so I imagine it would also help with the bone pain.

 

Yep, sounds like growing pains. They are usually worse at night because the child is not as active and their muscles start to ache from the long day.

 

WOW thanks for all the info!!

 

The other reason for growing pains at night is that your body produces growth hormones when we sleep. I have been dealing with growing pains in my 3 yr old and the only thing that works is Motrin.

 

Oh boy, I had growing pains for YEARS! Even into my adulthood. Of course, I guess they weren't technically growing pains by then, but it was the same exact pain as I'd always had. My aches and pains were located in my knees and thighs mostly. It was most always at night. They finally stopped after my pregnancy with my twins 10 years ago (at age 35!). I used Tylenol and a heating pad as a kid. As an adult, as well as taking Tylenol, my dh would give me a leg massage and that felt great.