{"id":2230,"date":"2016-05-03T12:01:11","date_gmt":"2016-05-03T12:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.askdrshah.com\/blog\/?p=2230"},"modified":"2016-05-03T12:01:11","modified_gmt":"2016-05-03T12:01:11","slug":"juvenile-arthritis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.askdrshah.com\/blog\/juvenile-arthritis\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I be Worried about my Child’s Growing Pains?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Juvenile-arthritis\"\u201cMy legs hurt\u201d, Mrs Kazi heard her son complain about his pains for the umpteenth time. She knew that kids this age had \u2018growing pains\u2019, but something in her gut told her, she mustn\u2019t ignore these pains.<\/p>\n

This is a common dilemma with many parents \u2013 Should I be worried about my child\u2019s growing pains? Doctors say you should. Because what seems like just growing pains, could be a case of undetected juvenile arthritis.<\/p>\n

Growing Pains:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Not \u2018just\u2019 growing pains:<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your child\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

If your child has conditions of the joint like juvenile arthritis, your child is not likely to just \u201cgrow out of it\u201d. The earlier you diagnose this condition, the earlier you can start appropriate treatment and the more likely you are to prevent permanent damage.<\/p>\n

Juvenile Arthritis:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s joints. This is a disease that arises because your child\u2019s immune system attacks his own body\u2019s cells mistakenly.<\/p>\n

Does my child have juvenile arthritis? Symptoms of juvenile arthritis:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most common signs that your child may be suffering from juvenile arthritis are:<\/p>\n