Growing Pains –Don’t sweep them under the carpet!

Do you remember your growing pains?

Is your child complaining of pains in the legs or feet especially at night when they are going to bed?

It is easy to dismiss these grumbles & tell them to “harden up or you’ll be ok!”

We should, however, be taking these complaints seriously.

Children run and play most of the day. The normal running, jumping and playing activities that children undertake on daily basis, when combined with foot and lower legs that mightn’t be strong enough yet, will lead to increased abnormal tissue stresses which will cause pain and injury.

For some reason, we call these athletic injuries “growing pains” in children but treat adults differently when doing the same sort of activity by naming it a “sports injury” or “overdoing it”.

“Growing pains” and “sports injuries” should be treated in the same way. Don’t dismiss your child’s growing pains – treat them like any sports injuries in adults.