To ask what might be wrong with DS's leg?

[Stressingismyhobby]

I know a sore leg probably sounds trivial but I can't bear it when there's something wrong with my kids and I don't know what it is, I'm such a worrier - DS is 6 and the past three days has complained of leg pain. At first, I thought it was muscle strain but he says it's getting no better. When I ask where it hurts, he says all the way up his leg. It's not stopping him running around,no limping etc but he does keep complaining about it throughout the day.

Thinking about it now, he has been very 'clicky' recently - as in his joints seem to click a lot. He notices it and I've heard it (though I can't be sure what joints the sound comes from). Could it be related to the pain?

It's probably growing pains.

Don't they normally get those in the evening though?

Growing Pains has been used to completely deny the existence of hypermobility, autoimmune arthritis and EDS for years. I hate the phrase, as it's the childhood equivalent of 'it's all in your mind, dear'.

Is he particularly 'bendy'? Has he fallen or been kicking a ball or jumping frequently? Does he have anything like Coeliac Disease, Crohn's or Psoriasis? Has he been particularly active or inactive (sitting in an awkward position for a long period of time without getting up and moving around)? Does the joint feel hot or swollen compared to the other? Or does he have sausage like toes or fingers?

The clicking could well be related, especially if the clicking relives the pain or feeling of pressure in his joints.

He does need assessment by the GP and possibly referral for paediatric rheumatology/physiotherapy, assuming it isn't directly related to an injury, but that's unlikely to happen at the moment.

In the meantime, laying a quilt over his mattress could provide extra cushioning for his hip when he sleeps and heat and/or cold packs can provide some relief along with Calpol for pain. Wearing cushioned trainers with insoles will also help ease the burden on his joints as he does the things that kids love to do.

Hope that helps. It's been a long day and I'm tired, but I wanted to counteract the sodding 'It's just Growing Pains' bollocks that always comes up when a child has pain in their joints.

I can't be sure the pain is actually in the joints because when I ask him to show me where it hurts he runs his finger from the bottom of his shin all the way up his leg, he doesn't actually point to one specific area so it's like it's the whole leg that hurts.
He had been running around/jumping in the garden a lot the day before but would that cause pain for 3 days?

He doesn't have any of the conditions you mentioned.

If he's been jumping, especially on hard surfaces I guess it could be shin splints, which runners get from the impact.

Clickiness could potentially indicate a hypermobility issue, which you may not be aware of. Does he do party tricks like pull his thumb right back etc?

He can't do anything particularly bendy that I'm aware of. Shin splints is a possibility, I suppose?

Is he limping at all? DS had a fever and woke with a limp and a tender hip joint once and the Dr we rang wanted to see him straight away as she said they always see children with sudden limps immediately. He didn't have it but it was something to do with infection settling in the hip joint.

My brother (when 13) and my cousin (then 8) both had nasty leg things , in my brothers case mum thought he was making it up tried to send him to school (he hated school) she took him to docs, doc carried him to car told her he must walk on it could be long term damage! He spent a week in hospital! I think it was some joint infection? Randomly 4 years later, cousin same thing. Apparently common in growing boys. Both after a week in traction and IV antibiotics were fine. Mum felt terrible not believing him!!!
I will say though I remember him yelling in pain and struggling to walk! It wasn’t an ache it was like permanent cramp.

I think that's worth getting him seen tomorrow, then, as he could have done something unpleasant to himself when landing.

I had pains in my leg as a child, seen the GP= growing pains. Seen a rheumatologist at 35, and diagnosed with hyper mobility syndrome. She confirmed my ‘growing pains’ were caused by the hyper mobility.

Has he been ill recently? My daughter complained of her legs hurting and was limping but she hadn't fallen or injured herself. Turned out to be a very common childhood problem with inflammation in the hips as a result of a virus she had the week before.

He's not been I'll and he's not limping.
Yes my DD had a weird thing once where her knee swelled up for no reason at all - Dr said this can often happen in kids when they've got a minor illness like a cold.