DS complaining of leg-ache constantly and occasionally limping?

[PoorSorebutunder34]

DS nearly 4yo, has been going through particularly bad patch of what I thought might be growing pains but I’m starting to second guess if that’s it. Looking for what other would do in my situation (I’m quite an anxious person so not sure if I’m just being a bit helicoptery wanting to get him checked tonight)

here’s for useful info:

• he complains about his legs hurting regularly, at least once a week, sometimes a few times a week.
• he uses the description of ‘my bones are hurting in my leg’
• it wakes him during the night and he gets inconsolable, calpol works to get him back to sleep but he occasionally wakes up with it still hurting.
• today he woke up complaining his leg was hurting, this afternoon after nursery he was playing, then came limping into me and said his legs hurting again. I asked where and he said the bones and pointed to his lower shin, I asked if he bumped it or did anything to hurt it and he said no it’s just hurting on its own. He didn’t want to put any weight on it for a while, and wouldn’t get up to walk to me. Then he decided he could walk and went off to play but I’m noticing he is walking with a bit of a limp.
• Ive been watching him since and asked how his leg feels and he said good, and when asked if it still hurts he said no. But he’s still limping slightly it at least not walking right.

He’s otherwise well in himself, he’s had flu A before that went to his hip and left him limping but he hasn’t got a temp or any other symptoms,

could this just be achy legs/growing pains or should I take him to get checked out?

Pl take him to gp kids do get these problems as signs of something else.

Definitely take him to the GP if only to rule out anything serious. It may be a chronic pain condition, which the NHS are no help with. You could look at pain reprocessing therapy although not sure if anyone has developed a kid friendly version of that.

My daughter used to get terrible leg pain at night that the doctor said was growing pains. It turned out to be iron deficiency because of undiagnosed Crohn's disease. However it was always both legs. If he's complaining about just one leg I would be more concerned in the absence of an obvious injury, and would take him to GP.

Could have injured it a while back and it needs a cast. Could be anything. See your GP already.

Might be irritable hip but best to get it checked out by the GP.

Lots of children have growing pains. It's very common to have aching limbs after a lot of physical activity. If he is crying rather than just complaining, then best to get him checked out soon.

Could it be Severs Disease, which isn't as bad as it sounds? DS had it and he had to have shoes inserts, occasional crutch use, - came and went with growth spurts.

Agree, consult GP. In the meantime massage in a dab of Vicks vapour rub at bedtime on each leg (no idea how it helps but it helped my children when they had non specific leg pains)

Thanks all, I decided to call 111 as he wasn’t baring weight on it again and was crying with pain. Given him some calpol and need to visit the pharmacy tomorrow, not sure what the pharmacy can do?

I think you should bring him to the GP.

I had this as a child and my parents finally realised that it was because I was walking on my tiptoes and had shortened calf muscles. so it could be my child’s gait.

One of mine had terrible nighttime growing pains, aged about 2 to 8. But one morning he couldn’t weight bear (bare?) and when I called the GP they saw us immediately, then referred us straight to the hospital (as in we went straight up to paediatrics, no A&E stop off).

It was fine, related to a virus he was getting over, but I was surprised how seriously they treated it. So calling 111 def right.

Hope all ok.

Did 111 tell you to go to the pharmacy? I’d try GP tomorrow if it’s not better.

We had similar with 2yr old (also frequently Ill) and dr referred him for blood tests. He was happy to refer just in case. We also had constant swollen lymph nodes - can you feel anything in his armpit, neck or groin?

You could be describing my son, he’s 16 now but has had the pain you described since he was a toddler. The GP said he had flat feet and referred him to a specialist. A year of waiting later I gave up and booked a private appointment. The experience was completely different and my son’s feet and legs were examined and tested with some exercises. He advised he does not have flat feet but has tightness in his foot muscles that have an impact on the other muscle structures all the way up to the knee. He’s been given physio exercises and he’s been pain free ever since. The pains used to be awful at night like cramp, I thought they were growing pains and wish I’d made the appointment earlier. It was about £100 for the private consultation but he was seen straightaway and the issue correctly diagnosed. Good luck, I know how hard it is to see them in so much pain.

100% take him to the GP. The waking at night especially is a red flag

Slight salt deficiency can also cause 'growing pain' muscle cramps if you are a very healthy-eating family!
But get him checked asap as it can also be a red flag for more serious things.

My DBro had pain in his leg, particularly the knee, aged 4 (back in the late 70s) and GP referred him for an Xray which showed Perthes disease in his hip. He recovered with conservative treatment but without a cast over a few years, and has had no issue in his teenage and adult life apart from a slight limp you wouldn’t know he had unless you were looking for it.

It could be something or nothing for your DS but do push to find out, and remember that the outlook can be great even if an initial diagnosis is a shock and worrisome.

Do get him checked by a GP!

My DS suffered terrible growing pains in his legs, just as you describe, with night waking, on and off for years. He’s very sporty. He has had two events of limping with no obvious injury.

We had checks a couple of times over the years, and he is fine, but as others have described, this isn’t always the case. Watch out for fever and bruising obviously.

He did have a diagnosis of Hoffa’s fat pad (a bulge protruding from his knee in a deep squat) which was investigated but has now settled, which I think is unrelated.

take him to the gp
pain without obvious cause (i.e. injury, exessive exercise) needs to be investigated. especially if one sided.

Yes, 111’s advice was to see a movie pharmacy within 24 hours, then told me our local one isn’t open now so to go tomorrow at some point.

Bruising obviously? He hasn’t got a hell of a lot of brown spot bruising on his legs, like normal childhood bumped legs but they seems to take forever to go away.

I definitely thinks it’s worth a GP visit.
if only for a blood test to rule out anything serious/deficiencies

In all honesty, id be going to a&e tonight.

This was the first sign of Leukemia in my cousins child. Its rare but needs to be checked.