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home / 世界杯决赛2022

here comes another growth spurt. are growing pains real?

the pain is real, but it doesn't appear to be connected with growing.

by hayley juhl
published feb 12, 2023
last updated feb 15, 2023
read time 2 minute read
join the conversation
read time 2 minute read
join the conversation
reassuring your child is the most important thing you can do when growing pains wake them up. djedzura / getty images/istockphoto
the true growing pains are shopping for new pants (again!) and watching our kids stretch upward till we’re seeing eye to eye. as for the other growing pains — usually throbbing legs at night — there’s no evidence to show that growing hurts. that doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real, only that it probably isn’t connected with growth.
a review of medical literature undertaken by canadian, australian and danish researchers last year unearthed frustrating inconsistencies in previous studies. the objective of defining growing pains: a scoping review was to narrow down the definition of growing pains. lower limb pain and pain during the evening or at night were the most referenced complaints, at 50 and 48 per cent respectively. slightly less than half the time, the pain came and went in episodes.
“notably, more than 80 per cent of studies made no reference to age of onset in their definition, and 93 per cent did not refer to growth,” the researchers said in their study abstract.
ok, great. but if it’s not growing pains, what’s happening to your child? and how can you help them?
doctors aren’t sure why it happens, though it generally appears in children between four and 12 years old and it is sporadic. it is not a serious condition beyond their discomfort; there will be no long-term effects. however, a doctor should be contacted if the pain is in only one leg, continues during the day, affects movement, or comes with swelling, joint pain or fever.
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reassuring your child is the most important thing you can do. let them know you’re going to help them through this.
encourage them during the day to continue their regular activities — being inactive won’t stop the pains from happening. you can massage their legs or supervise them using a heat pack or hot water bottle. if it’s not the middle of the night (and maybe even if it is), put them in a warm bath. they can take pain medication that has been okayed by their doctor or pharmacist.
here’s the good news about growing pains: kids grow out of it.
hjuhl@postmedia.com
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hayley juhl, montreal gazette
hayley juhl, montreal gazette

i’m a queer mom who has been walking the various halls of the montreal gazette since 1989. i write feminist and parent-positive columns and, as a copy editor, am vigilant about inclusive language and sourcing. i believe true change starts with children and continues with lifelong learning.

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