To side with the school over DS' stick?

[ReanimatedSGB]

(Also, any suggestions about dealing with growing pains are welcome).

DS gets growing pains in his legs. (Yes, they are a real thing. I took him to the GP last year and that was what they diagnosed.) When he's having a bout of pain, he likes to use a walking stick. The school does not think it's suitable and have suggested we get a proper 'walking aid' on prescription. They have also agreed I can send in a pack of paracetamol (which also helps him) with a note saying it can be kept in the school welfare office and he can have a paracetamol if he's in pain.
I don't actually know if a doctor or clinic will agree to giving him a crutch or whatever, and I think the stick is probably more of a psychological comfort, but I don't want to be the bitch mum who makes light of a kid's genuine pain, either.

Did the GP do any tests to rule out other issues? I'd keep going back if it were me - I had awful leg pains around 10/11 but they ended up being down to a circulation issue. My half brother was fobbed off as growing pains for a while but was eventually diagnosed with bone cancer (not saying that your son has this obviously, just that some GPs don't bother to properly investigate). At the very least he needs someone to help him with his pain - physio may work if it's muscular pain / stiffness but it may not actually be that. I wouldn't just let it go.

I'll have a long chat with him and see about a GP appointment. The bouts of pain had pretty much stopped for several months, which is why I wasn't thinking about it all that much - but last week he had a few twinges, and this week was complaining that it hurt again and he 'needed' the stick. He does have a bit of a self-dramatizing streak (which I can't really blame him for too much as I was exactly the same).

Get the GP to do tests for arthritis too. If you have it there’s a small chance he could have the juvenile version of it (usually RA but sometimes SA or OA too).

How did he end up with the stick? Is it the correct height?

If he genuinely needs a stick then what he's got isn't growing pains and needs further investigation.

It sounds, however, more like a case of him liking the sympathy/attention/drama a stick attracts. You happened to have a walking stick in the house because you sometimes need one - if you didn't have one to hand I doubt he'd be asking for one.

My friend's daughter went through a phase of being a bit obsessed with bandages and slings that she didn't need and would demand them for every tiny knock, bump or bruise. She also practically begged for an asthma inhaler after a mild chest infection. She grew out of it after a serious chat about how there are better ways to get attention.

I had 'growing pains' from early teens, after a period of severe illness at 19 I was diagnosed with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I can't help but think that I had RA all that albeit more mildly and it was brushed off as growing pains and only diagnosed when it got so bad it was disabling.

My consultant says that early treatment can make a massive difference to the condition and whether or not you get joint damage.

I would go back to GP and keep a constant eye. Perhaps physio or hydrotherapy would help both physically and psychologically.

My younger brother suffered like this. I recall he was given vitamin D supplements which helped him greatly with the pain.

I'd be very worried about his 'need' for a stick, especially as you've mentioned a 'self-dramatising streak', stick to doctors recommendations.

Where in his leg(s) does he get the pain? If it involves hip/groin/thigh/knee then he needs x-rays urgently to exclude slipped femoral capital epiphysis. It is not uncommon for this to cause pain intermittently and delayed treatment can cause problems later on.

It is not normal for a 13 year old boy to need crutches and, if he's struggling to walk without a stick because of hip/groin/thigh/knee pain then he needs to be seen in A&E today.

I think that having a stick is probably less of a physical support for him and more a signal to show that he has pain and therefore can't run about and be as active as other boys his age.
Depends on how much he's actively leaning on it, as to how much damage it could do to him.

I think that the school also don't want it as it's both a trip hazard and a potential weapon (although walking sticks can and should have rubber feet on them too, both to prevent slipping on the floor and to prevent damage to the wood of the stick - you used to be able to get them in varying sizes in Robert Dyas etc.)

Is he having any physio for his growing pains? Or have you considered yoga for him? Stretching exercises should help but it would be useful to have them sorted by a physio, make sure he's doing the right type.

Another one here with a son diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter. We were told that it was very common amongst active teens and that he should do stretches to alleviate future pain.

As the mother of a 13 year old boy, who gets growing pains badly (mainly in his shins though, I used to have the same on my way to 6ft1 ) I think the idea of him brining a stick to school is not a good one.

It may even be bad for him to walk with a stick, of there is no medical necessity.

see a GP and follow the GP's advice. If he says a stick is needed, demand to see a specialist!

I have had 3 who all had Osgood Schlatters and one who had Severs due to growth.

I would suggest a session with a sports physio to show him what stretches to do to help. Does he have a bike or do you have an exercise bike as this is the best form of exercise to help keep them pain free.

It is likely that he will suffer intermittent bursts throughout his teen years. DS 1 had it on and off up to 20 whereas DS3 seems to be over it by 15 (although he is 6 foot 1 already).

The problem with leaning on a stick rather than using crutches is that he will then end up with issues arising out of his unequal gait/weight distribution. Physio is the way to go.

Growing pains that occur during the day need further investigations. It is VERY rare (not impossible) to have growing pains during the day, the classic presentation isnthatbthenchildmismwoken from sleep with the pain. Definitely worth getting a 2nd opinion. I speak as a mum of a boy with 2.5 yrs of growing pains & we have had X-rays, blood tests & orthopaedic consultant opinion

I am an HCP. Please don't be alarmed by the suggestions of bone cancer, slipped epiphysis etc. These do not fit with the description of the pains going away for months at a time. Dr Google is bad enough without people with no medical qualifications telling you that your DC might have cancer!

Listen to the sensible posters suggesting a return visit to the GP and/or physio assessment - it's worth Googling local NHS physio services as some allow you to self-refer without seeing the GP.

is that the child is woken

Sorry, I appear to have forgotten what the space bar is for!

Also, it is not at all unusual to get growing pains during the day - after school is the classic time. It is unusual to get them first thing in the morning.

Basically, OP, don't listen to a bunch of people on the internet (including me - you only have my word I"m an HCP, of course ). Get your DS checked out again by a physio and/or GP.

My DD was referred to physio for growing pains and was given exercises to stretch the ligaments to keep up with bone growth.

The pains going away and then returning could fit with hypermobility syndrome/flat feet/similar. Also the pain in the morning. Not saying it necessarily is, but what you say wouldn't exclude it.

OP not read the full thread BUT has he had an x ray? I had something called osteosarcoma when I was a teenager, a cancer that is common in children and teens and one that takes a long time to diagnose as pains are often dismissed as growing pains.

If he hasn't had an x ray please ask your dr to refer you for one

"I am an HCP. Please don't be alarmed by the suggestions of bone cancer, slipped epiphysis etc. These do not fit with the description of the pains going away for months at a time"

This is why most SUFEs don't get diagnosed correctly at first presentation. Stable slips can (and frequently do) lead to intermittent symptoms over months and even years.

It's not clear from the OP where the pain is but, if there is persistent pain in the hip/groin/thigh/knee in a 13-year-old boy, then SUFE needs to be actively excluded.

I'd usually agree with not getting advice over the internet but, so far, the general thrust of this thread ("seek a repeat assessment") has been very sensible.

An orthopaedic surgeon.

@JohnHunter I would listen to your advice over anyone else's on this matter any day

You may have even operated on me previously

I'd be very concerned that if the pain is truly so bad he's relying on a waking aid during the day - then there is a different diagnosis being missed.
More likely it's become psychological or if he's a bit over-dramatic as you say, and actually the pain isn't disproportionate.
Either way, using an unfitted walking aid without medical assessment / advice is going to make things worse not better, even before the idea health and safety / use as a weapon / bullying etc.
Basically - please go see your GP if you're concerned. If the pain is mostly better then just stop using the stick and see how it goes.

Also what JohnHunter said.