Are Growing Pains real or an old wive's tale?

[Alambil]

DS has been moaning about aching joints for a while now; regularly about the same time as growth spurts (well, just before really)

Am I going mad or is he getting real life growing pains? Is there such a thing?

It's in his legs at the moment - just around and under his knees... it's driving me nuts! (bad mummy)

I would say real.

I remember my legs really aching and my son and daughter have both had similar pains.

oh they are real, I recall having them from about 8-9 onwards, joint pains in elbows and knees, knees in particular. When I was a teenager I had real trouble with my knees. Was told I would grow out of it, and did. It was not constant, and until my teens, created no problems at all for me, just came and went.

Now, at 30, nothing!!!

It's real. I think it's the muscles or tendons being stretched rather than the bones.

Real - definitely. DD1 had terrible trouble with pains just under her knees for about a year when she was about 10 and dd2 is nearly 12 and often complains of achey legs.

I had them in my upper legs for a few years around 8-10ish i think.

definitely real. i had them quite badly age 10-12 in my upper legs. i was told it's down to muscles not being able to keep up with growth spurts. not sure if that's right tho.

DS is 5 though - most of your experiences seem to be puberty age (?)

I think I'll have to be kinder to him then when he moans!

Real - I suffered from them and so does DD1. DD2 has never had them nor has DD3 so far.

Lewisfan - DD1 was four or five when they started. She is 10 now and hasn't had them for a while so I am hoping they are over now.

Ds complains of pains in his hip and thigh. He's had X rays which show nothing amiss. I've told him they are growing pains.
He's 6.

oh right so it seems most likely... is there anything he can do to help? Calpol? I don't know anything about this side of parenting

DD1 likes me to massage her legs. Nothing else seems to help particularly - I would give her Calpol but she won't take it.

The GP did take us very seriously, hence the x rays. There are apparently some pretty serious (rare, but serious) conditions affecting the hip which can manifiest at ds's age. I googled . Sleepless nights until results back in. But all fine.

real, i had them as a kid it used to be agony having the sheets and blankets on my legs at night.

Growing pains are real.
I had the most horrendous growing pains as a child ,sometimes my legs would give way too.
I ended up 6ft 2.

Your doctor is wrong about six being too young for growing pains, Sobernow. DD1 had them before she was five.

D gets tem in his hips and knees. He's 5.

my 4 year old has just started complaining about pain in his legs whihc sound like growing pain to me and he is only 4!!!

I had them badly as a child, as do all my children now.

D3 and DS2 have had them from and early age (from 3yrs plus), the other three all that bit later (6 for DS1 and 8ish for DD1 & 2).

I now suffer from 'restless legs', so still get them aching (and really bad cramp too) but obviously not growing. tis hell, and drives DH nuts!!! I rub my legs up and down his in my sleep, and the bottom halves of his legs are now hairless from me. he is not happy!!!!

things I use to help the kiddies....

calpol and nurofen in max doses for age.
ski-socks to wear to bed. I keep them on the radiators so they always go on warm, which helps immediately.
hot water bottle to hold between the legs for more help.
rubbing the legs.

if nothing else, the attention mine get from the leg rubbing helps lots!

My DS2 is 5 and he has had them on and off for about a year now. He would often wake in the night with them aching so I took him to the GP and that is what he diagnosed. He said to give him Calpol when they pained him and that he would grow out of it eventually.

i had them badly as a child and then when i got to 18 i went to a different gp who was like well they r not growing pains anymore r they as the previous doc still put it down to that.
this will sound absurd but i found things like my putting the hairdryer on my legs or someone rubbing them for me helped, painkillers that r suitable but i would try alternative stuff first.
good luck!

I have to put another side to this as well I'm afraid; I was told from the age of 13-17 years old that I had growing pains (even though as far as I remember I stopped growing at 15 ), when I was 17 I discovered that I was actually missing a part of my spine and despite countless examinations from the age of 15 no one had ever thought to x-ray my back, despite pains going down my legs (referred pain).