Should I be Worried about my Child’s Growing Pains?

“My legs hurt”, Mrs Kazi heard her son complain about his pains for the umpteenth time. She knew that kids this age had ‘growing pains’, but something in her gut told her, she mustn’t ignore these pains.

This is a common dilemma with many parents – Should I be worried about my child’s growing pains? Doctors say you should. Because what seems like just growing pains, could be a case of undetected juvenile arthritis.

Growing Pains:

Growing pains are crampy, muscle pains that children experience in both their legs. These usually start around the age of 3 or 4 years and may be seen again in older children aged 8 to 12 years. These pains usually occur in the late evenings and may cause the child to wake up in the middle of the night too. They usually disappear in the mornings and are usually due to intense exertion.

Not ‘just’ growing pains:

If your child’s movement is affected or if his/her strength is lowered, it may not be a growing pain. Growing pains should not cause any swelling of your child’s knee or ankle. Most importantly, if our child complains of pains that are present even when he or she wakes up in the mornings or has pain throughout the day, it may not be growing pains.

If your child has conditions of the joint like juvenile arthritis, your child is not likely to just “grow out of it”. The earlier you diagnose this condition, the earlier you can start appropriate treatment and the more likely you are to prevent permanent damage.

Juvenile Arthritis:

Juvenile Arthritis is an illness affecting kids younger than 16 years. In this condition, there is a swelling of the tissue that lines the inside of your child’s joints. This is a disease that arises because your child’s immune system attacks his own body’s cells mistakenly.

Does my child have juvenile arthritis? Symptoms of juvenile arthritis:

The most common signs that your child may be suffering from juvenile arthritis are:

• Stiffness in the joints that is more in the mornings. This may be noticed when you feel that your child appears clumsier than usual especially after waking up.
• Pain and swelling in the joints. Some kids may not be able to tell their parents that their joints are paining. Instead their parents may notice them limping.
• Persistent fever
• Rash
• Loss of weight
• Tiredness or irritability
• Blurry vision or eye pain

When Mrs. Kazi took her son to see their family physician, he too agreed that it was not just any growing pain. He appreciated Mrs Kazi for heeding her gut and referred them to a Rheumatologist. They are undergoing tests to confirm whether it is a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis…

If your child has been complaining of pains that do not fit the picture of growing pains, it is a good time to schedule a visit to your doctor. If you have been handed a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis for your child, do not panic. Homeopathy offers a very good scope for controlling the progress of the disease. Do get in touch with us to know more about Dr Rajesh Shah’s research based homeopathy at LifeForce. You may leave your contact details below or give us a call at +91-2266888888 or write back to us at info@lifeforce.in
-Dr Amrita Sodhi, Associate doctor to Dr Rajesh Shah, LifeForce Team