| Pain is part of a growing-up process for up to | | | | provide immediate relief. Parents or guardians |
| forty percent of all children aged three to eight | | | | must not administer aspirin, as this drug has been |
| years old. Why and how it comes about is | | | | known to induce a serious sickness called Reye |
| something no one is very sure of. The pain | | | | Syndrome. Apart from medication, heating pads |
| vanishes when a child stops to grow or reaches | | | | placed over the hurting leg part can help alleviate |
| adolescent stage. | | | | the pain. Massage and stretching exercises are |
| Children experience growing pains in some parts | | | | also helpful. |
| of the legs, normally around the calves, behind | | | | Parents need to remember that growing pains are |
| knees and front area of thighs. The pain usually | | | | normally not intense enough to keep the afflicted |
| attacks before and during sleep. A child may go | | | | child from his or her routine of running, walking or |
| to bed without it, only to be roused at midnight | | | | playing. They therefore should take a careful look |
| by aching legs. Fortunately to his or her relief, the | | | | at the child and examine the extent of the pain |
| pain just disappears the next morning. | | | | the moment he or she shows beyond than |
| Muscles, and not the areas surrounding joints or | | | | normal signs of affliction. Doctor's help becomes |
| bones, are affected by growing pains. Some | | | | compulsory when the child develops swelling, |
| people say that too much physical daytime | | | | redness, fever, tenderness, or is manifesting |
| activity by children causes growing pains. With all | | | | difficulty in movement like limping when he or she |
| the running, jumping and climbing that children are | | | | walks. |
| wont to do, their muscles are likely to get tired | | | | Physicians carefully analyze the ailment to |
| and sore sooner or later. | | | | determine if the symptoms are those of growing |
| Efforts to link growing pains to bone growth | | | | pains alone or something else. They conduct |
| among children have drawn little support from | | | | physical examination and review the child's medical |
| evidence. What the theory says is that spurts of | | | | records. In more dire cases, the child may be |
| bone growth may also give rise to growing pains. | | | | subjected to further tests like X-ray and blood |
| Muscles and tendons are tight and growing at a | | | | examination to determine with finality if the |
| rate separate from the rate bones are growing. | | | | ailment is associated solely with growing pain or |
| The resulting discord induces muscle spasms that | | | | not. |
| normally last for up to fifteen minutes. | | | | Children can help themselves minimize, if not |
| In any case what seems certain is that the | | | | prevent, growing pains through proper and regular |
| afflicted child usually experiences the pain not only | | | | muscle stretching. There is no need for them to |
| in one but in both legs. The pain is also not | | | | go through complex or elaborate exercise routine. |
| accompanied by redness or swelling over the | | | | What is important is carrying it on. Even when the |
| affected body parts or by fever. And if it does | | | | pain disappears, the child needs to keep the |
| not vanish by the time the child awakens in the | | | | muscles and tendons relaxed and in harmony with |
| morning, there is possibility that the pain might be | | | | sudden bone growth. Taking in sufficient amounts |
| associated with another and more serious ailment. | | | | of fluids like quinine and tonic water also reduces |
| Children who find the pain too hard too bear need | | | | risks of muscle cramps. Children with parental help |
| help from their parents or guardians. | | | | would do well to drink them before they go to |
| Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and other pain relieving | | | | sleep. |
| drugs that can be bought over the counter can | | | | |