Growing Pains ?? Help!

B.,

I used to get cramps in the arches of my feet when I was younger and they ARE painful. Sometimes cramps are a sign of low potassium. Does he like bananas? Also, instead of giving him tylenol, how about this. Maybe give him a foot rub at night with some bengay or something and put socks on him to sleep in. Worth a try? Good luck.

It's tough when little ones can't sleep because of pain. My youngest son (he's 8) goes through this with pains in his shins & thighs--the pediatrician attributes it to growing pains that become worse when the body is at rest. We give him Motrin; sometimes I will water it down if it's been more than 2 nights in a row and it doesn't seem to make much difference. I think they sometimes just need to know that you are trying to help them. My niece, who is 12 and 5'7" (we're a very tall family!) had similar problems with her feet as she grew very rapidly. The answer for her was orthotics prescribed by an orthopedist. You might want to take him to one for an opinion, especially if he is tall for his age. :-)

try a warm bath with a little epsom salts (you can get them at Meijer or any where in the pharmacy, or try alternating warm and cool wash cloths on his feet. also there is a homiopathic remidy called Arnica that you can inquire about at the health food store that is safe for kids and works for sorness and inflimation.
one other thought is to get a referal to an orthopedic sergon to x-ray and take a look at his feet. I found out about that age that my son has an extra bone in his foot and he needs to wear shoes that give enough support.

Awww... poor boy!! I remember terrible growing pains in my teens, but not as a child.

I have a couple of home remedy suggestions that I hope will help. My brother would shoot up a couple of inches at a time, so his shins would always ache and our pediatrician suggested a banana a day for extra potassium when the pains would start and they did help quite a bit. Secondly, I suggest to maybe soak his feet in warm epsoms salts before he goes to bed at night to try to stave off the pains before they start. The warmth will loosen the muscles and the salts replace minerals that your body needs. If his feet arent too sensitive, you could probably cut a little muscle rub with a lot of lotion and rub it in when he wakes up crying. Maybe it will work, maybe not.

Good luck with that! I know how helpless you feel when your little one hurts and you cant make it better!

My son has this problem too. His started about 4 1/2. I tried rubbing his feet at first, but I rubbed too hard. Then I went to ibuprofin. But when it happens in the middle of the night, I didn't want to make him eat something with it, and did n't want to have it ona empty stomach.
We went to tylenol. It seems to go in spurts. Sometimes it will be every night for a week and a half, then not have any for a month or so.
One night, I was worried about all the meds, and I gave him a back rub instead, to distract from the feet pain. It worked really well. It is really rare when I need to give him the meds now.
I did get him some shoes with better arch support too. I think that helped a LOT. We got him "Heelies", but he never uses the wheel. But the arch is good. Those shoes are more expensive, but you can get them at a sporting goods store.
The bananas help too. But we found out he has a couple of allergeis to some basic neutrients, and is deffecient because of it. We are working on that now. It has been about 4 months since he has woken up with that pain in his feet now.
I don't know if you are religious, but I tought him how to pray about the pain and ask for help to know how to make it go away, and feel better. I think the "weird ideas" that we would never have come up with, are the ones that are helping the most. It helps! Good luck!

Hi~
The first thing that pops into my head is some sort of deficiency. Not that it couldn't be growing pains, but I, personally would hate to miss something significant. Def. do your research and it wouldn't hurt to ask the pediatrician to refer you to a podiatrist. (Depending on your ins, you may not even need a referral, call the podiatrist and they will tell you) If it does turn out to be growing pains, the podiatrist will def. have heard lots about it and will be able to give you some ideas for relief, and at the very least you'll be able to set your mind at ease.
~L.

Growing pains? No really, growing pains? I thought it was just a myth.
You COULD try a second opinion. I mean here on Mammasource, there might be someone who's gone through the same. But I'm also referring to a second medical opinion. You mention a pediatrician. How about a Podiatrist, who specializes in foot problems???? Because it can't be good to stuff Motrin (or worse, Tylenol; no it isn't at all good for anyone!) in a toddler; not as consistently as you're saying.
Find a podiatrist. You want to get to the root of the problem, not cover it up.
Good luck, and give your little one a squeeze for me!

I remember my pains being bad - i don't remember them in my feet, but i remember the ache in my legs. It was hard at times to fall asleep. (and that was over 20 years ago!)

My mom's trick to me - to tighten up my whole body, head to toe. Then relax only one part of my body at a time, starting with my eyes (they were squeezed shut) and work my way down to my toes.
The concentration it took to only release part of my muscles distracted me from the pain in whatever part was aching from the 'growing' times.

You could also try heat or cold. They make little teddy bears that the 'belly' holds a little pack that you can warm up in the microwave or chill in the fridge/freezer. As an adult, there are times that my muscles need the temp change to feel better...it could be the same for his little body too.

Hi B.!
May I suggest an alternative method? You should try taking your son to a chiropractor. My son had similar symtoms (although not quite as bad as you describe) and I would give him Motrin as well. It wasn't until I took a part time job with a chiropractor that I learned just how wonderful this practice is. If your son is anything like mine, he plays hard and rough! All that jumping, falling and rough-housing can be tough on the spine. If he has a bone (in his spine) out of place, this would irritate a nerve and possibly cause the pain you describe in his legs and feet.
Most chiropractors will offer a free evaluation for kids and I would definitely look for one who is a good fit and uses very gentle techniques. My chiropractor uses the activator method and practices orthospinology. Also, an upper cervical adjustment is a good idea. If you would like help finding a chiropractor near you, I would be happy to help.
I also feel compelled to tell you that until I took this "job" I would have NEVER considered chiropractic for my family, but since beginning care this is the FIRST winter in 7 years that we haven't made a single trip to the doctor and I can't even remember the last time I gave my children OTC meds. It's no longer a job to me but a passion. People need to know that they need not medicate...the body has it's own innate ability to heal itself...it only needs the proper environment to do so!
Good Luck, B.!

GET A SECOND OPINION ASAP.....and a 3rd and 4th if needed. I don't mean to scare you but I know someone who's child complained of her leg hurting all the time (she was 2 when it started). It didn't end well, please go see a bone specialist.

Hi-I had this as well with one of my sons but not my daughter. Not sure why some have or not but it doesn't last forever. I would massage his legs and feet at night before he would go to bed, warm bath at bedtime too(dirty boys!!). I gave him tylenol and advil too. He had them off and on growing up. My baby is 6-2 and 220 pds(biggest in our family of 5), still loves back rubs and massages. It actually became a good bonding time with him during the teen years. He wouldn't tell us what was going on but laying on his back and getting a back rub opened him up!!!I don't think he's trying to get attention from your baby-he's growing. And please don't limit his exercise-we all need to be less sedentary. Good luck-M.

My son (age 10) has had leg pains (growing pains I'm told) for several years. My sister suggested that I increase his calcium so he now takes one tums (along with his daily vitamin) each morning. He also keeps some tums by his bed and takes one if his legs hurt during the night. I figured that extra calcium certainly can't hurt.

Good luck

M. V.

There are no such things as growing pains. First, find a new Doc. Then go to a cobbler shop and get the little guy fitted for shoe inserts. Usually a full sole with arch and a heal insert will do it. Or try a good foot Doc for orthotics, but those tend to be pricey. He may need a chiropractor and natural suppliments. Potassium and vitamin D. Not sure of the dosing for children. Good luck. I know what hes going through.
I had them till I was 45.
L.

B., my advice to you is to get another Dr.'s opinion.
I think my peditrician told my Mother the same thing some 40 yrs. ago. I have had problems with my feet since I was your son's age. My feet don't hurt as much as they used to but every so often they hurt so bad it is difficult for me to sleep.
Thirty years ago I changed my diet and the pains in my feet went away. I eliminated meat; chicken, fish & poultry. Sugar; soda, candy, cakes,& pies. White flour and white rice.
Please don't get him hooked on pain killers. I think sugar is the main problem. My advice to you is try eliminating all refined sugars. Have him drink plenty of water and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Much success to you.

I have 3 children and when they are growing 2 inches or more at a time, they had/have growing pains. However most of the discomfort was in the knees. I would check with a Dr. Also if your child is taking one regular dose a day, that is not too extreme. Remember when they are growing they need more sleep to make up for the overtime their body is doing then. I would give him the meds and put him to bed and hope he sleeps through for a couple nights. Good luck.

Hey, I'm so sorry that Lil J is having so many pains with this, I think Gavin starting to have them now. He'll just randomly grab the back of his legs or the bottom of his feet and say owe owe kiss it. I wish I knew what to do to help, if I hear anything I'll let you know.

I remember having growing pains in my legs as a child, and Yes, they are painful. Thankfully, the child does grow out of them:) In the mean time try a heating pad or hot water bottle, and a little massaging. Make sure he is drinking enough water during the day, maybe supplementing a little with a sports drink/Pedialite to make sure he has the extra electrolites that sometime relieve muscle cramping. Good luck.

Does he drink milk? If he is not drinking milk, get him to start. I am willing to bet that the tendens in his feet and ankles are knotting up on him. And it does hurt alot. Sometimes he may be able to walk it off, but that hurst too! I know from experience. If he does not like white milk, then try chocolate. My dad has to drink chocolate milk so that he can sleep at night because of this same thing. It may sound odd, but try it. If you warm it, that will help him sleep also. It will take a couple days for it to start to work because it has to get in his system.

I would say try B-12, have him do warm epsom salt soaks before bed and once during the day if you can, get him good shoes with a good arch support like burkenstocks or Balance running shoes, and see a podiatrist.

I had very bad feet pains growing up - I don't know how early it started. Part of my issue and still is... I have flat feet when I put my weight down on my feet.

The number one thing is if he is in that much pain, keep going to doctors until you find what the issue is. You are his only advocate.

hang in there, and try to be patient with him too.

I have had really bad foot cramps since I was a kid. It turned out to be poor blood circulation. Give him Vitamin B-12. It works like a charm! Give him one a day & he shouldn't have that problem anymore. I'm not sure if it will have the same effect if you chop them up & give it to him in food, so ask a pharmacist how you should give it to him. Hope this helps! :)

B.,
Both of my kids went (and still to some extent) thru this exact scenario. In fact, my parents told me I had the same types of growing pains. My 8 year old has finally started to grow out of it while my 5 year old does what your 4 year old does. They will grow out of it and it is normal...My ped suggested a few warm up exercises that may help build the muscles around the area which you can try. Have him just flex his toes and ankles a bit. But otherwise I just alternated tylenol and motrin (trying to use tylenol more often if it helped the pain)...You can't prevent them from moving around much during the day, they would be miserable! I just would just give them a tylenol before bed if I knew they had a more active day and that would usually prevent the middle of the nite wake-ups...Hang in there, it will subside!

I started having intense pains and cramps in my legs at night, what I finally figured out was it was due to mild dehydration. Try giving him more fluids during the day and see if the pains go away. Either way, its worth a try and getting the extra water/juice won't hurt him even if hes not dehydrated.

My oldest daughter had growing pains like this when she was little. My doctor told me to give her bananas, milk and a handful of sunflower seeds every night and that seemed to help. The idea is to add calcium, potassium & magnesium (spelling?) to their diet. When growing fast the body robs the muscles of these vitamins for growth and it causes the growing pains. Measure your son when these pains start and then again after a couple of weeks, if he has grown you know it was probably growing pains.

Hope this helps,
Grandma Di

Hi,
My name is B. and I have 7 children and 10 Grandchildren and 9 Great Grandchildren , and my advice would be to get a second opinion from a Pediatric Dr. Someone that specializes in those things.
He should not be having pains every night that severe.
Have you tried a warm bath before he goes to bed.
Or try to read to him before he goes to bed to get his thoughts on something else.
Hope you can get to the bottom of this soon.
B.

My daughter had a very similar thing when she was four...she would always complain of her feet hurting so bad. I felt the same way about the overdose of Tylenol/Motrin...and so we soaked her feet in warm water on these nights. Sometimes we would give her a warm rice bag or anything that would relax her muscles in her feet. She loved it and it seemed to help. She is now six and there are no more nights of soaking feet thank goodness!

My daughter had these and good shoes really helped. I know it can be expensive, sometimes Marshalls has Stride Rite shoes for under $20. I still have to be careful what type of shoes she wears and she's now 8. But it's worth it, at the very least we are all sleeping well at night!

YEs, they are really really painful. My ped recommondends motrin/tylenol as necessary and warm compresses-- wrap a warm washcloth around his feet and rub or a heating pad. Growing pains usually occur at the ends of the bones (the part in the middle is not growing).

This is just a thought but do you think that this is his way of getting mommys attention all to himself? Maybe he wakes up in the middle of the night and wants you, he knows that if he says his feet hurt that you come running. Try massaging his feet at night with a lttle peppermint foot lotin and see if that makes him stop wanting the meds. I'm sure he'll outgrow this, it's just another hurdle in motherhood marathon!! Good Luck, I hope he feels better soon.

If this was my son and he was having that much pain, I would take him to a podiatrist (foot doctor). I remember knee pain as growing pains, not foot pain. He may have done something that a regular doctor could miss and foot specialist may find.
Good luck and God Bless.

Without having looked at anyone elses responses I would say that it is probably a "charley-horse". Remember when you were pregnant - they said they might happen. It did to me. I had to get my husband to flex my foot for me because it hurt too much for me to do it myself. My 9 year old daughter woke crying because her calf hurt her. I remembered this and stretched it for her (and gave her a banana -for potassium for her muscles and water). It helped in very little time. I hope this helps.

My kids never had anything I recognized as growing pains, but some kids do have them pretty severely. As long as you're not exceeding the recommended dosage on the label for children his age/weight there's nothing to worry about. You can even cycle them. In other words, give him Tylenol and then Ibuprofen three hours later. Just don't dose the Tylenol again until its 4-hour window is up or the Ibuprofen again until its 6-hour window is up. Does that make sense? As long as you follow the dosing instructions for each med, it's perfectly safe. And remember, this isn't going to be a long-term issue. My fingers are crossed for a quick growth spurt and gone!

Hi B..
I have always had great luck with homeopathic remedies. And there are no side effects. Homoepathic remedies are little sweet pellets (like candy) that your son would put under in his mouth to dissolve them. My kids love them. They work with your body to heal the source of the problem. I have an awesome book for treating children. Here is what it says about growing pains, to see if this fits: "Growing pains develop usually between the ages of 4 and 9, a peak growth period, when some children develop unexplained leg pain (or in your case, feet). It typically occurs at night and can last a few minutes to hours before disappearing. Most are associated with sore, overtaxed tight muscles. They hurt more at night when the child is relaxed. In our experience, nutritional deficiencies are often at the root... Diet, supplements and homeopathy work extremely well." I left out some things but that's the gist of it. It says to use Calcarea phosphorica 3x or 6x. Give 2 pellets two to three times daily. You can buy these remedies at most health food stores. They work for teething too! When you give them, don't let the child use mint toothpaste and don't eat or drink 15 minutes before or after, and don't store them next to anything strong smelling. They work so good for fevers. I treat my kids with them, while other children who have the same condition use advil or tylenol, and my kids are done with the illness in one day, while in the others, it lasts a week. Good luck!

I am having the same problem with my daughter, she gets really bad pains in her knee. At first I thought she was just doing it for the meds, because they taste like candy, but one night she woke up just screaming in pain. I also use to get these pains when I was little, and yes, they can be very painfull, I remember the feeling, it feels like a contraction in your legs or feet, I had one so bad once I thought I was going to throw up. What I do for my daughter is give her tylenol, and rub her knee and just talk very soft to her and tell her to relax. A heating pad might help, if it is possible, try to have him sleep with a pillow under is foot, my mom did that for me, not really sure how that helps though. Also I tell her what the pains are, I tell her that they are growing pains and it just means that she is getting taller, and she kinda gets excited. I hope this helps! Good luck! Let me know how it goes!

one thing that you could try is changing his shoes. Maybe he needs another size. If he is active than he has his shoes on all the time. If they are to small (or not wide enough), and his feet have been in there all day they would take a while to relax and when they do it doesn't feel good. My son goes thru it when his feet grow. Try Miller's downtown, they are pretty good people and they have shoes there that would help.

Also make sure that he is drinking plenty of water (even though it is cold out), I get alot of cramps in my feet when I sleep and was told that to reduce cramps I needed to drink more water.

hope this helps

B., try giving him some tonic water to drink about one half hour to bedtime. It helps my leg and foot cramps. And, I don't think a 4 yr old having "growing pains" that make him whimper at night is normal. There is a podiatrist in Hastings. Maybe a specialist check up is a better idea than accepting "growing pains". Good luck. T.

Growing pains for some people is just sleeping and eating others grow so fast at one time that thier joints can seem to keep up. Do what ever is necessary to releive the pain. I had growing pains as a child and they were terrible. I have now had a child through natural birth and it wasn't much more painful then my childhood growing pains so he could be in alot of pain... Jumping and running have nothing to do with it. It is just all the joints stretching and swelling to get ready to grow..If it is primarily in his feet try massaging his feet with either lavender or eucalyptus oil before bed. If it is in his knees or back you can try that or also a massage pad or heating pad (on Low) will help. If all else fails you give him the medicine if it is only at night and not all day that your ginving it to him he should be fine. of course always check with your doctor on dosage... well I hope this helps...

Hi B.. I have two kids, but actually, I had growing pains myself something fierce when I was little. I don't really know if it matters, but I'm about 5'9" today. My pains were in my calves, but like your son, we (my mom and me) remember them being in the evenings. They were awful! I remember being in tears every time I had one. However, mine were much more infrequent than your son's. My advice to you would be to mention it again to his doctor, making sure he understands the frequency, as well as your concerns about how to treat it. Who knows, the doctor might suggest a change in diet or something us non-doctors wouldn't know about. In the meantime, if you're worried about overmedicating him, you could try a gentle massage or a heating pad or warm water bottle, or even a warm bath each night before bed. Also, try to take deep breaths with him, since we all usually tense and hold our breath when we're in pain, and lack of oxygen could be a minor issue. I understand your husband's concern about him being too active, but I think limiting his motor skills probably isn't such a good idea. Maybe some gentle stretches in the morning and before bed could help. I don't see a problem with giving your son a pain reliever sometimes, especially when nothing else works, but until you talk with his doctor again, you might want to stick with a dose of Motrin rather than Tylenol, as Motrin works on inflammation as well as pain, just in case he has any slight swelling. Hope something helps. Good Luck!

My daughter has growing pains in her legs often she also said that its hurt really bad. Heres what Ive done..take a tube sock a (big size) and fill it with uncooked rice tie the end in a knot or sew if your crafty (im not that good)
then pop it in the microwave for a couple minutes or until it gets nice and warm put this on his feet at bedtime, you wont have to forget to remove it like a heating pad and youll be surpised how longh it stays warm for..I use it on my neck it feels so good.
Good luck to you both!

I was just reading about growing pains in "What to Expect: the toddler years" and it said that they happen most often in the middle of the night. They also said that they should only last about 20 minutes or so. They recommend massaging them to help ease the pain. If it reall is growing pains and only should last 20 min, then by the time the tylenol kicks in, the pain should be gone on it's own, and it is unnecessary medication.

If they are lasting 2 hours, then I would take him to a podiatrist, and check his shoes for size. Maybe they are growing pains waking him up and then he can't get back to sleep and is crying and upset because of sleep deprivation. Maybe give him a nap on days when he was up all night the night before, it might help him to sleep better the next night? I really wish you luck!

Hi B. -

Have you thought of taking him to a podiatrist (foot doctor)? His arches may not be getting enough support in regular shoes. I'd try the rubbing routine and maybe some soaking in epsom salt dissolved in warm water. If that doesn't help I'd take him in to the doc. A regular regiment of Motrin and/or Tylenol can't be good for him. He'll develope a tolerance to it where it won't work anymore.

Good luck - I feel for ya!

S.

Hi B.,
First of all, I am not a Mom, but I am a Registered Nurse. I just read over your request about your son and here are a few things for you to consider....the pain he is experiencing may actually be his feet cramping up - which could be caused by a number of factors. He may be unconsciously curling his toes while he sleeps; his electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc.) may be out of balance - which can indirectly cause muscle spasm/cramping; if he wears shoes all day which support his feet, when shoes are off pressure on his arches or other areas may induce this pain; lastly, being a boy, has he been tumbling around and possibly hurt his back? Pressure on areas of the spine could bring about discomfort, especially as he lays in bed.....I have other thoughts, but I will stop there. Your doctor could check his electrolytes (simple blood test); or consult with a nutritionist for recommended food sources/vitamins/minerals. Consider an evaluation with a podiatrist or a chiropractor. Meanwhile, until you find the cause, short term use of the Tyelenol or Motrin (based on prescribing guidelines)may have to do. I hope this may help get you the answers you need to help your little guy!
Blessings, K.

Hi B.! K. here. Stay at home Mom of 4. My son Kyler gets these pains in his legs and sometimes his arms. I think it's his bones growing. We've done the tylenol and motrin thing too. But, what also works is a heating pad. That always seems to help. Also, make sure he gets to bed on time. I've noticed if my son gets to bed late, he has more episodes.
Your son sounds like this happens all of the time. I think that I might get a second opinion. It doesn't sound normal to me and there might be better alternatives out there that may even prevent it. Good Luck! K.

my son went through this at same age, same thing, severe pain in feet and sometimes in calves. I also started out giving tylenol but after a few nights stopped b/c it was getting excessive.

I found that massaging helped a lot. the first few seconds he screamed as though it was worse but then it got a lot better.
I also found that it was worse on days when he was especially active but like you, I wasn't going to have him lay around all day. it passes. hang in there!

btw-his ped said growing pains don't exist. interesting.

B., First, have you asked your son where his feet hurt?
Next, check his shoes, with them on feel inside and check the arch support. If there is a lot of space his arches may not be getting the support they need which is torturing all the muscles in his feet! Does he have an arch? Consider taking him to a podiatrist to have his feet checked, I say better safe than sorry. My daughter had this trouble at 5, the podiatrist had us get arch supports for her shoes and the pains stopped. In the mean time, make some magic socks.Take 2 washcloths, fold in half, cut the top of the folded washcloth so that it is a little bigger than his feet (so 2 rectangles) sew them so that long and 1 short side are sealed, put a cup of rice (any kind) in the bags and sew shut. these are going into the microwave for 1 minute, then into a pair of socks. (at the foot) then on his feet. The heat will relax his muscles in his feet, try this before he goes to bed, or when he first goes to bed, you can massage his feet first too!
these are a cheap heat bag that fit his feet! Try it first on you see what it feels like, great for sore feet at the end of the day! My daughter is now 20, doesn't always buy shoes right for her feet, she uses her "magic socks" on a regular basis. I hope this works for your son, (and you). Growing feet and for anyone shoes that don't give the support we need is painful. Good luck hon. K.

Dear B. H.,

My granddaughters inherited horrible bone structure from me and it causes horrible pain in the legs/feet with vigorous exercise, etc. We have found that getting her orthotics helped tremendously. Get a referral from your pediatrician to a foot specialist and if he could benefit from orthotics, you will get a prescription and then you would only have to pay the co-pay and not the entire amount like we had to pay for our granddaughter. When she gets bad pain I give her one ibuprophen, but she is now nearly 12 years old. I gave her ibuprophen with the bad pains because it lasts 12 hours and only one dose would get her through the night and most of the day. Most of the time it would not continue to hurt her after she got up for the day and the dosage wore off.
We gave her one ibuprophen even when she was 5 or 6 because it worked so well and lasted 12 hours. She did not have to get it as often as your son so you should ask a doctor who specializes in bones/feet/legs.

L. C.

Hi B., I am a mother of 3- and a Child Care Provider, my 3 year old daughter actually has been having the growing pains- i first massage the legs from top to bottom, you can use warm washcloths- i would do the tylenol and motrin for last resort. It does work- all of the above.
Thanks
N.

My son had the same problem, except it was his legs too. I took him to the Dr. and he told me he didn't think they were growing pains. He told me to go to the shoe store (one where they fit your kids for the proper fit) and have inserts glued into his shoe. Never heard another complaint. Only time I hear that anymore is when he is not wearing the shoes with the inserts for awhile. As long as your dr. has ruled out anything serious I would give that a try. I have never heard of anyone having growing pains that are that bad. I don't know where you live but I go to Michelle's in Rochester to buy shoes. It is at Rochester Road and Auburn in the Target Plaza. They will know what you are talking about. Hope this may help.

My daughter is now 6 years old. She has been getting "growing pains" in her left leg only since then. The doctor has suggested giving her Tylenol and massaging her leg (which has been an all night medication for her and tiring for me.) She always seems to get these pains on a day that she is playing more than normal and its always late at night. The doctor has also suggested doing some stretching excercises with her before she goes to bed to loosen the leg muscles. The pains have become less frequent but she does cry uncontrollably. We still give her the normal dose of Tylenol and I have started putting a heating pad on it, which seems to help. Since she still has been having these pains we are actually going in next week to have an orthopedic doctor look at it.

Hi B.,

Yes, I remember my growing pains and they were very painful. Mostly, for me, was my lower legs - and ironically, I'm only 5'3" so it's not like those bones had to grow that much! Anyway, my parents, God bless 'em, would get up with me in the middle of the night and would gently rub or massage the area. I was never given anything for the pain at that time. And if I recall correctly, I had them just when I was littler but as I grew older, growing didn't seem to hurt as much physically. Not sure how to answer question number 2 but to answer number 3, try massages or maybe even some not very hot heat? I remember heat feeling good on sore parts.

Good luck B.!!! I hope you get some good advice!!! And lucky you for either forgetting or for having unnoticeable growing pains!

A.

Hi. Well I havn't dealt with this in my kids, I did have pains as a child. For about a year my right leg always hurt. The dr told us for that entire year it was growing pains. Finally my mom was tired of me being in pain so she insisted on having some xrays and such done. They ended up finding a tumor in my hip the size of a tennis ball. It was removed and I am fine. If it is that bothersome, it wouldn't hurt to look further into it. Hope everything works out.

I had this and so does my son. First off, I make sure he has no socks on when he goes to bed so we rule out circulation issues (also make sure his socks are not too tight during the day). Pain usually doesn't occur during compression, but rather when there's no compression and the blood's flowing more freely.

Next, I think Phyllis is right on when she says to make up a "bed buddy" that can be heated and slowly dissipate the heat. (I even have booties with that kind of insert!) That will eliminate the need for getting up to turn off a heating pad.

And third, if you rotate Tylenol and Motrin every three hours or more, you are not over-medicating. Both meds say every 6 hours, but they work differently so you can alternate to keep the pain relief more steady.

Massaging also helps a little, but you can't be getting up to massage his feet every night. I think it mainly has to do with keeping the blood flowing freely to those stretching bones, ligaments and muscles. Heat and massage do that.

You might try having him wear shoes during the day in the house. My daughter was having ankle problems and so we got her a pair of indoor shoes that she wears around the house. It has helped her a lot!

Arnica - a homeopathic remedy may help or chamomille for calming. There is a book called "Smart Medicine for the Healthy Child" which has the most common recommendations from western medicine, homeopathic medicine and herbal medicine for childhood ailments which could help. The simplist thing you could probably do though is go to Castle Remedies on Huron Parkway or Whole Foods and talk to them about your son's symptoms they should be able to recommend something.

B.-
Have you taken him to see a podiatrist? My little sister has this problem when she was younger and I remember he always crying at night because of her feet (her ankles also hurt her as well). The doctor told my mom the SAME thing-growing pains! Well it went on for awhile and we didn't think it should be that bad and we ended up taking her to a podiatrist and it turned out she has a problem with the arches in her feet. It didn't seem to bother her during the day when she was on them but at night when she would relax it is when the pain would come. I think I remember it starting at about 4 years old. (I am 10 years older than her). She now has to wear special arch inserts in her shoes and she hasn't has a problem since.

If you don't think it's that, or the Dr. says it's not, another thing you may want to consider is RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). I have this and it only recently because something people started to be aware of and put a name to it. When it acts up for me I have this pain in my legs and the most uncontrollable urge to move my feet and legs. It hurts my feet and legs if I don't. It may be a little off from what your son is experiencing but it may be worth looking in to. I am on meds for it, but I don't know if they make them for kids. I am almost certain my son has it as he seems to almost twitch his legs at night and cries out.

Good luck!

Hi B.:

I have 3 boys, ages 3 yrs, 7 yrs and 11 yrs. My first born had growing pains so badly that I took him to the doctor and had x-rays done. Yes, they can be that bad. I also give motrin for the pain and do rub their feet. The rubbing is enough sometimes, but not always. My middle son also has these pains.

I certainly do not remember such growing pains myself...

Try the rubbing first. If that doesn't completely work, you may just have to resort to the motrin. I really don't know what else to do either. My 11 yr old's pain is very rare now.

I wish you all the best!

A.

Growing pains are quite normal, and come and go in spurts as they grow. But if the pain is beginning to interrupt his sleep and causing intense pain I would make sure to go see a podiatrist.

There could be something else going on, it may be as simple as needing something like arch supports.

As for over medicating, just make sure you follow the dosage and not exceed the daily limit. But if pain persists for long periods then a doctors visit is due. And don't let the doctor make you feel worng for wanting to see a podiatrist, too many times we forget we are in charge of our health care and let them make the calls when it is ours to make.

I hope he feels better soon!

When my daughter has such pains I immediately increase her Calcium intake. Either by diet or supplements. No more problems. Hope you find something that works for you.

My niece had growing pains in her leg as a child. She too would beg for medicine. Her pediatrician said she needed more potassium. So, when my niece started complaining of pains, my sister gave her a banana a day and they would go away for awhile (until she stopped eating daily bananas and her potassium would get low again). I would try this and if this doesn't help than I would talk to your doctor again. If your son doesn't like bananas, find potassium in other foods that he may like. Good luck. I remember how she used to cry and it can break your heart.

My nephew who lived with me for 8 years went through the same thing especially when he was 4 - 5 years old. Usually it was at night time. We were generally able to help sooth the pain with massaging them and then giving him heating pads to put on his feet. The heat really seemed to help. I was even able to find these shoe like heating pads that we put on his feet and tightened around his ankles so that they would not fall off. As to the question about are growing pains really that painful, I believe that they are especially in such a tender area of the body.

B. -
My 4-year-old daughter has had a lot of pain in her feet as well. Her doctor said to try a little Gatoraid everyday. Honestly, she hasn't had a nighttime episode in awhile, so we never stuck to the Gatoraid. So, not sure if it works, but you could try it out!

I remember having growing pains in my legs as a kid and my parents would use rubbing alcohol on my legs and massage them. I don't know if it was the massage that really helped or if there is something in rubbing alcohol (I don't even know exactly what is in rubbing alcohol) that was the solution. I don't ever remember having pains during the day, only when I went to bed at night. I'd check with the pediatrician to see if you are giving too much motrin. Also, I don't think limiting his physical activity would make a difference. Good luck.

It may be his shoes that are causing he problem. I had the same problem with my daughter at that age. To ease the pain I purchased a surface rub called Tiger Balm. Iwould rub it on her feet before bed each night. It less invasive to thier youg bodies.

All 3 of my children have growing pains. They are very real! My first born had them as soon as she could communicate that something was wrong, she would piont to her leg and wimper, cry. They almost always happen at night,and they are worse after a big day of physical activity. They occur when they are going through a growth spurt, so if they have them for 2-3 weeks, I turn around and they're taller. After that, they go away until the next growth spurt. Tylenol or Motrin work for them. Our doctor recommended an x-ray to rule out any other problem with the bones on her legs, and when that was negative, we just deal with it with the over the counter meds. It is not everyday, only when she is going through a growth spurt. As my other children developed them, we dealt with it the same way. My youngest, just started to get them at 8 years old, my middle one has had them since she was a baby also. Talk it over with your doctor again to make sure he doesn't want to rule out anything else, and make sure that if you take him somewhere overnight you always have medication with you. It really does help with the pain, and I don't believe that one dose a day for 2-3 weeks at a time will cause harm. If you are concerned about that, talk it over with your doctor.

Hi B....
When my son was around 4, he had some nasty growing pains in his lower legs and feet. The struck mainly at night and he'd just cry and complain. I actually gave him the prescribed dose of Capital with Codiene <left over from one of his surgeries> and he was happy as a clam. I would say there is nothing wrong with giving the recommended dose of motrin/tylenol every 4 hours as the dosage recommends. Growing pains are aweful. My husband remembers getting them and he said they are terrible to have. Very painful..
Jacob <my son> didn't have them for long, once that growth cycle is over, they go away. He complains every so often of this or that hurting or being sore, but he's 11.5 now and hasn't had another really bad incident again.

I would say though, if you have misgivings about how much and how often with the children's pain killers.. call your pediatrician for reassurance.

J.
W/Jacob..11.5 with Sotos-Like Syndrome/Aspergers autism

My kids used to get leg cramps at night. A massage usually did the trick. Most times the cramps are for real, but could it be a little bit of jelousy and a way to get attention away from his baby brother. Is he wearing supportive shoes during the day? Even little feet get tired running on hard floors.

B., My daughter is now 7 and has also experienced these "growing pains" since she was about 4. They were worse when she was 4 and have slowly gotten better, althought there are still nights she wakes up crying that her legs hurt. I am not a medicator,but I do give her Tylenol/Motrin. I usually give her less than the recommended dosage and this seems to work, if she wakes again I give her the other half. This way I know that it is not too much. This seems to be the only thing that will help her. I have tried rubbing her legs, but the pain will not go away without the medication. I too, do not remember experiencing these growing pains as a child and my older daughter never experienced them. Rest assured that this too shall pass, these pains should lesson has your son grows. I hope you find this helpfull.

There are homeopathic cloth bags that are filled with different herbs and something soft that you might check into. The cool thing about them is that you can warm them up gently in the microwave and sandwich his feet between them as one alternative.

http://www.nplp.com/ProductDetail.aspx?productID=1879

(this link gives some history and bag content)

http://www.healthandbodystore.com/nawayhesl.html

(this link actually has nature bag/slippers that accomplish the same thing)

Hope this helps. I suffered with serious post-surgical staphy infection pain and got hours of relief from them. Did the Pediatrician say anything about soaking his feet in epsom salt before bedtime? You might check into that too. Last of all, and probably it wouldn't hurt to lay hands on him and pray for them each night. A.

I know this all too well! I have a 4yr old lil girl and she has growing pains in her legs almost every night too! i felt the same way about the motrin so I decided to let her use a heating pad when she falls asleep. Of course I go in and turn it off before I go to bed. Usually this is enough but then sometimes I end up having to give the motrin. I feel better that I am trying an alternative and that she is not always getting the meds. Hope this helps and good luck!

if you think he doesn't really need meds (he's 'faking' it) then try giving him 'different meds' as in put orange juice in the medicine cup and see if the pains go away.

I am sorry that your son is having such severe pain. Let me tell you what happened with my daughter and I hope this can be very helpful to you. Starting at age 4 or 5 my daughter started complaining of pains in her hips, legs ankles and feet. She is very tall so everyone attributed it to growing pains. Makes sense right? She would wake in the middle of the night in a full out cry taking about how bad it hurt. I would give her motrin and she would go back to sleep. I talked to her doc about it and they said not to give her motrin right away and see if the pains go away or stay. Well they stayed! After two years at her WCC I begged her doctor to do something, her pains had gotten worse late this past summer and beginning of fall. She is very active in sports, and I kept her out of playing this past fall for fear of making whatever was bothering her worse. After x-rays (twice) and a full examination and blood draws her doc sent us to UofM peds hospital...thinking it could be arthitis. Within the first fifteen minutes of her exam at UofM the doc had figured the problem. She was completely flat-footed, no arch whatsoever! The rest of her legs were absorbing all the jumping, running, skipping and hopping that she was doing and it was causing her extreme pain. The solution...Dr. Scholls. I bought her two pairs and make her change them in and out of her shoes when she is gonna be running around. I have put her back into sports and have not had one complaint of pain. She's gelling as she likes to say now. So it could be something as simple as the type of shoes your son wears, or the form of his foot. Try tracking whether they hurt worse when he wears one pair of shoes and what the shape of the shoes are. My daughter complained of foot pain more when she wore shoes that had an arch made into them. Because that was not her natural foot shape. She always picked shoes out at the store or to wear that were completely flat because that is what felt better to her.

when I used to have these as a kid a warm bath before bed helps or when you wake up with it

One of my sons had the same issue. Growing pains are a natural occurance for boys as they grow much faster than girls and sometimes faster than their little bodies can handle. First, I would seek advice from your pediatrician to rule out anything serious. Secondly, instead of continual use of NSAIDs (which can damage the liver with overuse) try using a special heating pad. There are many alternatives to the traditional electric kind. I use a cherry pit pack. It can be put in the microwave for about 2 minutes, shake it up to evenly disperse the heat and then place it on your son's feet. I find that not only does it feel good on painful areas but it seems to relieve the emotional tension that comes along with pain. Thirdly, at your local health food store you should be able to find a pain relieving cream called Arnica. It has been a staple in my house for years. It does not have any side effects and will not cause damage with long term use. You can use it in addition to the heating pack. On a side note - you will probably find that as your son goes through growing spirts than pain will come and go. You may also notice that he becomes more clumsy ie. tripping, dropping things etc. Again, if this becomes worrisome contact your doctor. I hope this helps!!

Hi B.. I myself have never experienced this problem but I wonder if maybe soaking the feet in a warm water before bed would help or even a little foot massage. Not for sure if it would work but worth a try.

I don't remember how bad mine were either (thank God) and my daughters haven't had them that bad either. Not to say that they can't get that bad - I'm not sure. Tylenol and Motrin bottles should both come with the answer to how much is to much - max dose in a 24 hour time period. I don't think either one of them become addictive. However, I also know that my girls will fake things to try and get medicine - a fake cough, a fever, a headache, etc. We've talked to our doctor, and understand the whys of that, but my caution would be to watch out for that. If it seems like he really is in a lot of pain I would give it to him. Something to try would be to find a way to keep his feet warm. I know that when I have an achy spot, a nice soak in the warm bathtub helps. Obviously, in the middle of the night you can't do that, but maybe some warm socks or an electric blanket, I don't know... My other piece of advice would be to talk to your doctor more if it continues, or consider a second opinion. Do you see a pedetrician for your son or is a family physican? If you see a ped for your son, what about taking him to your doctor, or can your doctor refer you to someone else for a second opinion. I've never heard of growing pains in just the feet, and not the legs, or for that matter pains that just bother him at night. It seems like if it hurt that bad at night, he would notice it during the day as well.