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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffGrowing pains tend to affect both legs and occur at night. In many instances, growing pains will wake a child from sleep. The term "growing pains" may be a misnomer because there's no evidence that growth hurts.
Doctors don't know exactly what causes growing pains, but they may be linked to a lowered pain threshold or, in some cases, to psychological issues.
There's no cure for growing pains. You can make your child more comfortable by putting a warm heating pad on the sore muscles and massaging them. For most children, growing pains stop once they reach their teens. While growing pains are harmless, some types of leg pain in children may be caused by underlying conditions that can be treated.
- Lowe RM, et al. Growing pains: A noninflammatory pain syndrome of early childhood. Nature Clinical Practice Rheumatology. 2008;4:542.
- Lehman TJA, et al. Growing pains. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 23, 2010.
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