A child crying every night with leg pain, growing pains...What about the treatment?
Dec 15, 2024
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The next day, when I contacted the kindergarten because I was worried, I was worried that I was worried that I was playing well and running around well, and this time, it was Seong Hwa who said that the child was sick from the early evening. He received warm water in the bathtub and allowed him to bend and stretch his legs in the water. Maybe the pain has subsided, but how much did the child sleep next to him? Kim's ear again heard the child's sad crying. At that time, this thought suddenly crossed my mind to Kim. 'Is this growing pains?'
Leg pain that appears without any abnormalities in children between the ages of 3 and 12 is called 'Growing pain'. Since growth action itself does not create pain, the diagnostic name of growth pain is not an exact term, but it is well seen in growing children and the term growth pain is commonly used.
Professor Min Jae-jeong of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at Eulji University Hospital in Daejeon organized 'Growth Pain' through a Q&A.
-In the case of a case child, is it a situation that can be seen as growing pain?
▶Details will require diagnosis, but there are characteristic factors that can be seen as growth pain. Growing pain occurs mainly in the calf, thigh, or knee area at the age of 3 to 12, and the pain is more severe at night than during the day. So sometimes there are children who wake up with pain. Then, the symptoms disappear the next day, and the biggest feature of growing pains is that you run well as if you were wondering when you did that.
Growth pain is usually more common in active boys, and symptoms of both legs are more common than one. Symptoms may disappear for a while and recur after a few days or months.
- What is the cause of growing pains?
▶The cause of growth pain is not yet known. However, in some cases, it is considered a kind of muscle pain caused by different degrees of bone growth and different growth rates of tissues around bones such as muscles and ligaments during the growth period. It is also said that it is because the bone that wraps around the bone increases as the bone grows, stimulating the surrounding nerves, and there is a theory that the muscles of underdeveloped children become tired from heavy use during the day and hurt more at night.
- Should I visit a hospital if I suspect growth pain?
▶In fact, growing pains are one of the natural growth processes that naturally disappear with age, so you don't have to worry too much. However, ▲ when the child's pain is severe and ▲ when the pain lasts for more than 3 weeks ▲ when only one leg hurts ▲ in the morning, ▲ when the pain persists until morning, ▲ when the pain persists, ▲ when the pain is red and swollen, be sure to seek an accurate examination by a pediatric orthopedic specialist.
-How do I diagnose growth pain?
▶In order to diagnose growth pain, it is possible after discriminating other diseases that cause pain. In addition to traumatic diseases such as fractures, dislocations, and sprains, 'metabolic diseases' in which bones weaken due to abnormalities in mineral metabolism such as childhood rheumatology, calcium, or phosphorus may have symptoms similar to growth pain. In addition, even if there is an abnormality in the knee angle such as O-type or X-type legs or flat feet, knee pain may occur due to biomechanical overload, and bone tumors, leukemia, and hemophilia may also be affected.
- How do you treat growing pains?
▶Growth pain has only treatment for pain relief, but there is no fundamental treatment. If a child wakes up in his or her sleep and suddenly complains of pain, the guardian should calm the child by giving him or her a hug. This is because if the guardian is too worried in front of the child, the child reacts sensitively to it, making him feel anxious and more painful.
For simple first aid, it's better to rub your legs. Then, the blood circulation in the legs improves, and the child temporarily feels cool. Squeezing the legs can also be used as a treatment and diagnosis. This is because if there is a serious abnormality in bones, muscles, tendons, etc., rather than growing pain, the more you touch and sleep, the more severe the pain becomes. It is also helpful to apply hot packs. Painkillers are sometimes used when it hurts a lot, but this is only a temporary measure.
- How can I prevent growing pains?
▶Growth pain may not be completely prevented, but efforts may be made to reduce pain or reduce the frequency of occurrence. First, be sure to relax your muscles by stretching before and after exercising. There are activities such as raising your arms above the sky, stretching your legs on a ride at waist level, or stretching your back as well. In addition, balanced meals are more important than anything else for growing children. It is recommended to organize a diet so that you can get enough calcium and vitamin D, which are helpful for muscle and bone health.
The part I want to emphasize the most is to make sure that the child wears comfortable shoes. Shoes that fit too tight or too big can cause unnecessary leg muscle tension. Therefore, you should choose shoes that are not too hard on your heels and can comfort your child's feet and legs.
- What is the role of parents in coping with growing pains?
▶Growth pain is a common symptom, so you don't have to worry too much. However, as mentioned earlier, there are diseases that have similar symptoms but require discrimination. In other words, it is not necessarily just growing pains that children feel pain in their legs. If you let your guard down, you may miss the timing of treatment for serious diseases. Therefore, parents should closely observe the child's condition and watch it with more alertness if there are related symptoms.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
