Growing Pains in Kids - Causes, Effects and Treatment

Has your child been complaining of some kind of unexplainable pain?

It can instantly set you into a state of worry when they are grimacing in discomfort and you have no explanation as to why they are feeling that way.

You may even take them to the doctor to try and figure out exactly what is going on.

A high percentage of children are going to experience growing pains at some point in their childhood. You don't necessarily have to let them just sit back and suffer through the pain.

Discover how you can help your kids by learning more about the causes, effects, and treatment options available.

There is no real explanation for growing pains as of right now. In the past, people thought that growing pains were the result of the bones growing.

However, it has been determined that bone growth happens so slowly that it is highly unlikely to be painful.

Even when your child is going through a rapid growth spurt, there isn't much of a chance that it's going to be painful.

Your child can be subject to these kinds of discomforts for a few different common reasons:

• Poor posture - strain is put on the body when your kid is sitting, standing, or moving around in an awkward fashion. Little ones with flat feet are likely to have more pain than those who don't.

• Emotions - being unhappy or stressed out can cause pain in children, but it doesn't happen all that often.

• Muscle fatigue - physical activity can cause pain and tenderness in the muscles that lead to the feeling of growing pains. It can happen for some children that way, but it isn't always the case.

Growing pains are most common in children ages three to 12 years old, and it is found in about 37% of kids in this age group.

Rest assured that if your child is feeling growing pains, he or she isn't alone.

For most kids, growing pains are felt in the legs as an aching or throbbing. It usually is pinpointed to calves, thighs, or behind the knees.

Your little one will most likely complain of the pain at night, but it can happen at any point during the day. Some severe cases of growing pains will even wake children out of their sleep.

Frequently, pain in both legs is present. For some children, they will also suffer from headaches and pain in the abdomen during active growing pain periods.

The pain frequently doesn't stick around long and it won't be present every day.

There really is no specific way to treat growing pains, but there are a few at-home options if you don't want to worry about giving your child medications.

More and more individuals are turning to non-traditional, holistic methods of treatment instead of visiting a family physician.

While you can try these options at home, you should visit your child's pediatrician if any of the following problems are occurring:

• There was an injury prior to complaining of the discomforts
• Your child can't take part in their normal daily activities
• Pain that doesn't quit
• Pain is in the joints rather than the muscles
• There are other symptoms like weakness, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, redness, or swelling

You can try and provide your child with some at-home care trying any of these methods:

• A warm heating pad can be placed over the area that they are complaining about to reduce the pain in the sore muscles.

• Massage the area to help in relieving tenderness. Start with a gentle touch and massage the legs for about five minutes and see how they react. If they deal well with the first massage, you can slowly start increasing the pressure and the duration to suit their needs.

• Did you know that a lot of times muscle pains and cramps are due to dehydration? You need to think about whether or not your child is getting enough fluids. Another option is sports drinks or other beverages that include electrolytes.

• If your child is physically active, try yoga with them to stretch out muscles that may have tightened up. Beginner moves done before bed will have the most positive effects on the treatment of growing pains.

• Chiropractic care from a professional doctor at Chiropractor Anchorage or any office in your local area is another great, natural way to treat growing pains. There are over 35 million people that seek treatment from chiropractors each year, and some of those are children.

It has been proven by the National Institutes of Health that  adjustments and manipulations of the spine can reduce the pain associated with growing pains in young people.

You don't have to sit back and watch your child suffer helplessly. You have plenty of options for getting them some relief without dangerous medications or a visit to your family doctor.

Implement any of these to help relieve the symptoms in your kids.

Dr. Brent Wells is a professional Anchorage chiropractor in Alaska who believes in treating people the way he would want to be treated.

Born and raised in Southern California, Dr. Wells received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada and his Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree from Western States Chiropractic College.