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Aching legs in day - 7 year old

12 replies

user1473933954 · 15/09/2016 13:12

Hi. Im looking for some advice and hopefully reassurance. My 7 year old daughter is always complaining of aching legs during the day. Its always both legs. Shes a very active child. Always on the go. I googled aching legs in the day and apparently thats not normal for a child. Apparently Growing pains are always at night and never in the day? Anyway..the word lukemia kept popping up and I ended up working myself into such a panic i took her straight to hospital after school. They checked all her vitals which were all good.. they tried dismissing me but i demanded a blood test because id read some horror stories about kids being fobbed off. The blood test came back all clear. Said her blood count was good. But its almost a week later and shes still complaining about legs. Shes eating normal. No fever. No sickness. Does anybody elses child ever complain of growing type pains in the daytime?? Surely the blood test would have detected something sinister going on?

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icouldabeenacontender · 15/09/2016 13:18

You must stop googling and calm down a bit!
Has she gone through a growth spurt lately?
Sometimes the bones grow a little quicker than the muscles, so they take a bit of time to catch up and ache a little.
If she is very active it really could be as simple as her legs being a bit tired if she is bombing around a lot.
Just keep an eye on things without becoming paranoid and take her to the GP if you are not happy.

user1473933954 · 15/09/2016 14:01

I really do need to stop googleing. Some stories make me so paranoid and i just dont want to miss anything... youre theory makes sense though... I was hoping other people may have had the same experience with their child. My eldest didnt really have growing pains... especially in the day.

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5moreminutes · 15/09/2016 14:08

My 5 year old has this, it's been going on months. It is both night and day but not all the time, maybe three times one week, nothing the next, every day for 4 days, nothing for 10 days... Etc.

We also had blood tests and x rays and all clear.

It is weird but we've seen 3 different doctors now and had the above tests and they all insist nothing is wrong.

He has grown 6cm since April, and he is always leaping off stuff so a combination of growing pains and aching from landing from heights all the time is the only logical explanation. His general health is good and if it were sinister I think there would have been deterioration, but there hasn't.

Try not to worry but do go back for a second/ third opinion if it continues a lot longer or gets worse.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 15/09/2016 14:12

Good that you pushed for the check and the blood test, that's one relief and can set your mind at rest!

It's not uncommon to have the leg aches at that age, and I guess it depends what she does in terms of exercise etc. as to whether or not they ache in the day.

A number of children in Ds1's year at school (Y3) have been experiencing leg pain issues; 2 girls who he dances with, one of whom had them so badly that she was taken to a physio, who has given her stretching exercises to do, to help encourage the muscles and ligaments to grow quicker to match the bones. The other one, poor thing, was overdoing it in dance class and tore her hamstring (luckily only a very minor tear).

DS1 himself hasn't complained of pain, but he's unbelievably tight in the legs - so we've been doing the stretching exercises as well, just to encourage his legs muscles/ligaments to stretch before his bones try to!

Things like:
Lying on their back on the floor, one leg out straight, the other bent to a 90 degree angle at the hip and knee. Hold the leg behind the knee and pull towards the chest, keeping the 90 degree angle at the knee joint.
Using a swimming noodle or other foam roll behind the knees, kneel down - this opens up the knee joint without damaging it.
Have the feet placed on a board that is set at an angle - heels to the floor, toes on the upper slope - helps to elongate the muscles of the lower leg in particular.

I've also been doing toe-touching with DS1, forward lunges (feet both pointing straight forwards, hips straight and leaning into the bent front leg while keeping both heels on the ground), and a few other things that are more dance-related (toe pointing, ballet positions etc.)

Hope some of these might help.

SecretPeanut · 15/09/2016 14:13

Agree with the above stop googling.

However if it continues i would seek maybe some x-rays or MRI, i only suggest this because i was a very active child and by the time i was 18 three vertebrae had slipped and disks completely disintegrated. All caused by an active lifestyle as a child. The main symptoms other than the obvious back was pain in the legs.

Iguessyourestuckwithme · 15/09/2016 14:14

Perthese

OuchLegoHurts · 15/09/2016 14:22

I used to get these aches all the time as a child and my kids get them now too. If they have been particularly active, like cycling for a long time or gone for a long walk they'll almost certainly get them. They are worse at night time but can happen sorting the day too. Don't worry, :/ the last They were put down to growing, and a physio friend of mine says they are certainly to do with growing

OuchLegoHurts · 15/09/2016 14:23

Sorry, in the PAST they were put down to growing

user1473933954 · 15/09/2016 15:39

Thanks ladies... feel better than i did this morn about it. She does seem very healthy otherwise...il just keep an eye on her and chalk it up to growing. She is one of the tallest in her class so maybe shes spurting more than normal. They even told me she was long legged on her baby scan. I cant tell u how much googleing has affected my anxiety. I feel sorry for the docs and nurses that have had to put up with me. It just frustrates me to see my happy child suffering with something i cant help her with. I will try excersise stretches though... that might help x

OP posts:
crje · 15/09/2016 15:43

Does she have fallen arches?
She may need arch supports or shoes with it built in.
Get her gait assessed and they can tell you.

user1473933954 · 15/09/2016 16:10

Never even considered that. She'll think im a weirdo when i get home and start examining her arches..

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crje · 15/09/2016 17:39

I pronate when I walk ( arches fall)
They are high to look at so be sure and observe her in motion.

My dd is 7
She has it too & if not wearing good shoes( Clarks/startrite) gets awful hip & leg pain.

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