Many kids can chronicle to the unpleasant experience of growing pains – they come on at night and can cause sharp, shooting, equally well as dull and nagging hurting. Only what people may not know is what causes them, why do they bear upon some children and not others, and most importantly, when should parents be concerned that they could be something much more serious?

Dr. Suzanne Marie Yandow, chief of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Seattle Children'due south Hospital, answers these mutual questions below.

What causes growing pains?

The directly cause of growing pains is unknown, but they typically present in children 3 to 5 years of age and may persist much later in some cases in kids ages 8 to 12. Some studies have shown that more than than one out of three children displays symptoms at some betoken in their lives, and the symptoms about often arise during periods of rapid growth.

What are the common symptoms?

Growing pains frequently come up on in the evening and at night, and the pain is usually in the muscles rather than the joints. This hurting normally presents bilaterally, pregnant the hurting will occur in both legs, rather than but ane or the other. Frequently they are nowadays in the front of the legs or shin area.

Children are ofttimes more enlightened of the pain at night, and while it may be a nuisance, the hurting is typically non severe plenty to wake them from a sound sleep. If this occurs, it could exist a sign of a more serious underlying condition.

What other more common serious conditions could be mistaken for growing pains?

Toxic synovitis is a common cause of hip hurting in children that can ofttimes be mistaken for growing pains or a pulled muscle. Toxic synovitis is a temporary status that occurs due to inflammation of the inner lining of the hip joint. This inflammation may crusade hurting or stiffness in some children. Toxic synovitis is much more common in boys and most often affects preschool to early school-aged kids, but younger kids can develop it as well.

Unlike the symptoms of growing pains, children with toxic synovitis will often feel leg or hip pain in just one leg, and this pain is more constant throughout the 24-hour interval rather than but in the evening. Other symptoms include limping and reluctance or refusal to bear weight on the limb. In babies, they may cry in situations where their hip joints are being moved, such equally diaper changing, or they will refuse to move the limb.

By itself, toxic synovitis is not a serious condition, but the biggest risk in missing its diagnosis is the potential for missing more serious conditions like certain forms of childhood cancer, or a instance of septic arthritis. While septic arthritis is uncommon, information technology's a surgical emergency when it does occur.

Septic arthritis, which well-nigh commonly affects the hip, presents with many of the same symptoms as toxic synovitis, but it is also often accompanied past a fever. If left untreated, septic arthritis tin damage and destroy the joint that is infected.

How is the underlying cause of the pain diagnosed?

The commencement matter a physician will do is examine your child, checking to see what kind of movement is painful past moving the knee joint, the hip and other joints to confirm where the pain is coming from.

A blood draw tin evidence abnormalities that help to distinguish toxic synovitis from the more unsafe septic arthritis, and the doctor may order an ultrasound that will make up one's mind whether in that location is fluid in the hip articulation. Your doctor may too run additional scans and tests to rule out certain forms of cancer.

With many of the symptoms overlapping, what should the main takeaway be for parents and caregivers?

The most important takeaway for parents who are trying to distinguish growing pains from a more than serious condition is to pay attention to your child'southward symptoms. Cases of toxic synovitis and septic arthritis are much more common in babies and young children, making it much easier to miss. The primary symptoms parents should watch for that signal information technology's time to call the medico include:

  • If your child is limping or refusing to utilise a limb
  • If your child'south pain is restricted to one limb
  • If your kid's pain is then intense that it wakes them from a audio slumber
  • If your child's pain is accompanied past a fever

Parents who take babies should besides remember that infants may refuse to motion their limbs or hold either their leg or arm very all the same, which could be a sign of a deeper infection in the joint, muscles or basic.

Overall, growing pains and toxic synovitis are extremely common ailments for children to have, just septic arthritis is an urgent situation that needs to be excluded starting time. If yous have concerns, don't wait to phone call a medico.

Spotter the video beneath to encounter Dr. Yandow speak virtually this topic on New Solar day Northwest:

Resources

  • About Toxic Synovitis

  • What Is a Hip Infection?

  • Growing Pains