5yo repeatedly refuses to bear weight after falling

[emilygal]

So my daughter is 5 years old.

A couple of years ago, she fell over and developed a limp, refusing to bear weight on the leg she fell on. Went to dr, they said it didn't seem broken so we waited and the limp disappeared after a week.

Then one year ago, she fell badly on one leg. An awfully uncomfortable twisted-looking limp developed, where she pivoted at the hip to avoid bearing weight. Everyone who saw her was sure it must be a fracture or dislocated hip. Several days passed and she was still limping - even when half asleep going to toilet at night (so I could tell it wasn't just a case of faking or exaggerating for attention.) Ended up going to A&E just in case, X-ray showed no fracture. 2 weeks passed with several hospital trips and consultants and eventually on the third week she just woke up one morning without a limp.

Yesterday the worst thing happened. She fell on BOTH knees and now is hobbling in an extreme squatted position with both knees bent. She's refusing to walk / needing to be carried if the toilet is too far away. Again she doesn't want to straighten the legs - even in her sleep. And bearing weight seems super painful.

I'm loathe to waste A&Es time and put her through any more X-rays than she needs because past experience tells me that it's almost definitely not a fracture. But I'm starting to wonder if I'm ignoring the signs of a different underlying condition that causes her such extreme pain from the most minor of falls and injury. Does anyone have any ideas / similar experiences with this?

You really need to take her to the hospital for assessment and more X-rays. It could be a soft tissue injury or a dislocation but she needs to be seen and given appropriate pain relief.

If be getting x-rays done that doesn't sound right at all

Did they consider Perthes' disease?

www.nhs.uk/conditions/limp-in-children/

Thanks guys.

I'm just hesitant to take her back to hospital because it seems this is how she reacts every time she falls and grazes a knee and theres never any fractures etc - so I don't want to put her through more X-rays than she needs. If she's still squat walking later today then I'll take her to A&E again just in case. I'm just wondering why it affects her so badly each time.

Re: Perth's disease I just looked it up and don't think that it could be that because her limping always seems to come from a legitimate injury rather than limping with no known cause. Thanks for the suggestion though.

I've been giving calpol for pain relief and as was the case last time it doesn't seem to make much difference. She's pain free and happy when not trying to stand though.

Has she been tested for rickets / osteomalacia?

Update - went to A&E. After 4 hours waiting they manipulated her legs about and she had no pain or problems. She just got upset when they tried straightening them or when they tried getting her to stand or walk / bear weight on them. They reckon she's fine. Have an appointment to go back there in two days to check her again if still hobbling.

When I asked if there could be an underlying medical reason for why she reacts so extremely to tumbles, the nurse said that that would be something to ask my GP to investigate. All they would be concerned with in A&E is checking there's no fracture or infection.

I suppose the thing you need to find out is if she's exaggerating for effect (you gave her lots of attention the first time for example, so it has encouraged her to overplay it next time) or if she is genuinely unable to weight bear and in pain.

It's a hard one. I have one dc who always underplays things, and another who always overplays them. I have several times said to the GP that I genuinely don't know if it really is painful, but she's saying it's agony. It's very hard for either for me to know when to drag one off to the doctor saying she doesn't need it, or for the other one to tell her to put her chin up and get on with it.

My dbro was accidently dropped aged 3yo when df was getting him out of the backpack. He refused to walk for about 3 weeks. Dm took him to the dr who said he was being a little overdramatic and there was nothing wrong. Dm thought the GP was being mean until she discovered when she wasn't in the room he was running about happily.

Go to go
Ask for paed physio assessment
If no luck then Maybe get a private physio referral to check her over e.g. for hypermobility

Gp not go

She could have hypermobile joints

I wondered about hypermobility too. Subluxated knees can be very painful. They kind of need to be clicked back in.

Pay for private physio assessment. My dd was clumsy and reacted extremely to falls etc. I was sure something was just a bit 'off'. I payed £90 for a paediatric physiotherapist to assess her and she diagnosed hypermobile joints, hips and spine in particular. So we now have lots of strengthening exercises and physio to do.

Once we had the assessment it was much easier to access what was needed. School do exercise every day, we do swimming and gymnastics (with very supportive coaches) and physical challenges like climbing etc.

She is still quite dramatic when falling over etc. But the physio said with her it was the feeling of her hips and back collapsing under her that panics her.

Thanks so much for all the support and advice everyone.

Just thought I should update : She started walking and running like normal again - only a couple of days after my last post and not weeks after like last time!

No idea if it was just attention seeking or if the pain genuinely affects her worse somehow...if the former then she fantastically consistent - even when half asleep!

She was looked at by a paeds physio the first time it happened so I think if it was hypermobility then it would have hopefully been identified then - but it's a good suggestion. If next time she falls it affects her terribly I'll call them for advice just in case - still got the physios number.

But for now at least, the worry is over!