My ds has had a really painful thigh - growing pains?

[moccachoccachino]

My ds is 9.

On Tuesday night he woke with awful pain in his right thigh. He had been sleeping with legs bent I and couldn't straighten his leg without lots of discomfort all around the thigh.

He had to have the day off school Wednesday as he found it difficult to put weight on his leg. The pain subsided through the day and he was back at school Wednesday with no pain.

Last night it happened again, this time the pain seemed worse, he was crying and couldn't walk on it at all. Gave him Nurofen which eased it a bit and used a hot water bottle against it. Although it is sore this morning he is able to walk on it.

Does this sound like growing pains? I thought it might be a pulled muscle or cramps but it seems odd that he had no pain with it yesterday and now it is sore again.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

Its possibly irritable hip
www.nhs.uk/conditions/Irritable-hip/Pages/Introduction.aspx
If it doesnt settle in a few days, or worsens I'd get a GP appointment as there are other causes. It may be a recent strain injury, they often ease as the day goes on but stiffen when waking in the morning. Any development of fever or redness/swelling would need to be seen urgently.
good luck

PS. I personally dont believe in growing pains unless one leg has decided to grow without the other!

Thanks.

I have of course been googling and worried myself but will take him to the GP if it doesn't improve.

Your link is interesting. Ds has had a viral infection, a temperature and cough which I think a lot of the school seems to have had.

That was last week and these symptoms have only just started at the beginning of this week.

They don't get growing pain there. There's a few things that this could be and it's likely that the pain is coming from his hip. To be honest, he needs checking over today to rule out perthes and a slipped ephysial plate or osteomielitis (inflammation/infection of the bone). I did train as both a childrens nurse and a radiographer. It really is best to get it checked. If it's nothing then brilliant, if not then it's been caught early. I do hope it's nothing though.

www.perthes.org.uk

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Slipped-Upper-Femoral-Epiphysis.htm

I think I will phone the GP then and book an appointment.

Would the pain come and go though with either of those conditions.

He had no pain at all yesterday, was walking normally. It only came back during the night.

Limping and pain in children should always be checked out. He'd probly aggrivated it yesterday whilst he was walking around, which is why it was painful during the night.

The duty doctor is ringing me back. Thanks for the advice.

It's Ok. It may be nothing to worry about. I really do hope that all is well.

I took him to see the GP after school and he thinks it is probably reactive athritis from the virus he had last week.

He did suggest that we may have to have bloods and an x-ray but rang the hospital and spoke to paeds who were happy with his diagnosis.

He did say to bring him back on Monday if it is no better.

Just wanted to say thanks again, I love Mumsnet for this kind of advice.

DS has to rest his hip so you will have a lovely weekend waiting on him hand and foot! Bet he'll love non stop nintendo DS!
May even get time off school! Hope he gets fully better asap.

I know, but am relieved that's all the GP thought it was.

Am also relieved that football match has been cancelled tomorrow morning otherwise it would have been a struggle to keep him from playing

I'm so pleased all is well. Thank you for posting, I was a little worried. Perthes is horrible.