What are growing pains?

Your child wakes up in the middle of the night because of pain in their legs. They’re in what seems like dire pain, but eventually the parent can get them back to sleep – and the child is back to normal the next day.

These pains are commonly called ‘growing pains’. While there aren’t any known direct causes for these pains, they most commonly happen when children are in very active states of growth in their adolescence. Growing pains aren’t sharp, stinging pains, but are usually described as an aching pain, or more of a dull throbbing pain.

And the pains aren’t consistent. A child can complain about them every night for a week, or they might go weeks between recognizing them. They also most often occur at night, and almost never occur when the child is in the midst of some type of physical activity. And not every child complains about them.

So what are they? The nature of growing pains is pretty general, but they often are reported in the leg, either just above or below the knee. Kids are active, and they can get dinged around and injured. Irregular mechanics in a joint can cause inflammation, and these misaligned joints may be one of the causes of this type of pain.

Pediatric chiropractors can focus their adjustments on restoring that normal alignment of the pelvis and legs, ensuring the motion of the joints are working properly.

Growing pains are often mentioned as pains in the legs, but there are a number of places that pain could be coming from. It could be in knees and legs, but it could also be radiating from improperly functioning hips and pelvis – or all the way down to the ankles and feet.

Because these pains are so ambiguous and generalized, they may be part of another underlying condition. If no other condition can be identified, the common reaction is to “let the kids grow out of it”. The issue with that, is the lack of relief from the problem. Often, chiropractic care can provide some relief. Pediatric chiropractors are also well versed in nutritional and diet changes that can aid in relief.

Growing pains are real, as children will most definitely attest, but their causes might be stemming from a number of different things. It depends on the child. Chiropractic care can be a non-invasive solution for your child’s growing pains, and can help determine if there is a deeper cause.

For more information about growing pains and how pediatric chiropractic care might be able to help, contact Dr. Morgan Sheridan at Foundation Chiropractic today.