5 year old complaining of aching legs

[MagratsHair]

My 5 year old DS often complains that his legs are aching when we walk to school in the morning. Not every day but usually every week at some point. He also sometimes says they ache at night when I'm reading his story. Its been happening for a few months but most days he's fine & racing around.

Do I take him to the doctors or do I just assume its him growing?

[Marmitelover55]

My dd used to suffer v badly with aching legs at night. I'm not sure if it was cramp of "growing pains". She is 11 now and hasn't complained of it for a while. Not sure if this is of any help?

[Bedsheets4knickers]

I remember growing pains in my legs . I used to put really long socks on to try and warm them up lol. I would say it's growing pains x

[RhubarbAndMustard]

I used to get this a lot too - was very tall child. Remember mum taking me to Drs but not much they can do if it is growing pains.

[sunnydayinmay]

I had this, doctors said it was growing pains. Eldest ds (aged 11) had it too.

Then I started to take a vitamin D supplement and the pains stopped. I gave ds a childrens' multivitamin with vit D and he hasn't mentioned them since.

Possibly coincidence, but I think it helped.

[MaudeLebowski]

Definitely sounds like growing pains. I remember them well in my own legs!

[MagratsHair]

Thanks all, I've googled growing pains & every site says that they do not occur in the day. It seems as though growing pains occur in the night but have gone in the morning, some arthritis conditions cause pain when getting up but then the fade.

Nothing about pains mid morning or daytime really....

[GraysAnalogy]

I'd take him to the doctors just to be sure. Only because I read this today www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2956193/Why-tragedy-Jake-shows-never-dismiss-child-s-aches-growing-pains.html

[GraysAnalogy]

Oh balls don't mean to worry you or anything, I posted that a bit quickly without thinking. I'm sure it is just growing pains...

[AnimalsAreMyFriends]

My boys were both told that they suffered from "growing pains" - our GP helpfully suggested that I give them Nurofen every night before bed - 'just in case' idiot

It was when they were both being screened for dyspraxia that it was discovered that they are both severely hyper mobile and that their pain was caused by over extending joints. No mention of daily Nurofen. Now we know, we make sure that activities are not too stressful on their joints, that they have really good supportive footwear and that they can have breaks when they need to. It doesn't stop them doing anything, but now we know we can work with it.

[MrTumblesBavarianFanbase]

Magrats my 3 yo had a phase of saying his legs hurt in the day (not all day, but once or twice a day) and more so at night. I asked his paediatrician at an apt for something else, and he also said growing pains, even when I very specifically asked again "even though it happens in the day?"... He did look at his legs (which look normal...) He did also say though that if it continued for more than another week I should bring him back for an ultrasound of the muscle and tissue in his lower leg and knee... of course then it stopped within a few days.

Growing pains happen in phases (linked to growth spurts) so they shouldn't happen every day for more than 4-6 weeks. I'd see a doctor if it is every day for a long time.

I guess it's always worth reviewing mentally whether they might be short of something if they're in a fussy eating phase and considering giving a general kids vitamin supplement.

[MagratsHair]

Thank you Grays, I've booked an appointment with the GP on Friday :)

[MagratsHair]

x posted thank you MrTumble his appetite isn't great so he's having vitamins every day already

Thanks Animals :)

I feel very very bad for just dismissing them at the time, and he is at my ex husband's so I won't see him until Friday & I need to cuddle him so very very badly

[wfrances]

id take him to gp
ds 11( really sporty) has always complained of leg pains even crying at night with them -dh said they were growing pains

last year he had a nasty knee injury which required an xray
so found the cause of his pain he has osggood schlatters disease.

[wildpoppy]

My dd got this aged two and still has aged 4. We saw paediatrician twice who did through examination including blood tests to rule out anything sinister (I had been ignoring it then read article about someone with bone cancer who said it started with aching legs so I panicked).

Paediatrician concluded it was growing pains though not official diagnosis as not really recognised as a condition.

We hae noticed however it coincides with a hungry few days and a subsequent growth spurt. On the days she eats more than I would have thought possible she then will wake up around midnight crying with it and then I make the link.

But doc also said we were right to get checked out just in case

[MaudeLebowski]

My growing pains definitely happened in the day!