At some point of time in life growing pains in children can have an immense impact on the children. The situation can turn out to be distressing, but at the same time also self limiting and seldom goes out of control at its own consequently. The main issue about the diagnosis is the fact that this very term is seldom used with a view to throw away the term for any kind of leg pain felt by the children and a few cases are there where serious problems can crop up as a result of growing pains.
Bad cramp is easily the worst symbol of growing pains like the pain in the upper calf muscles right behind the knee that generally wakes the child up from their sleep and lasts in and around for 20 odd minutes. It is most widely observed in the children of 4-5 years age level, but can also happen in case of children of up to 12 years age. The ache normally does not have an impact on the next day activity. In fact, the pains normally don’t occur during the day time and if they even occur in the day time, then something else requires to take into consideration. The ache is also not as deep as to be frightened in the bone or even in the knee joint and if the pain is so, then something else requires taking into consideration. There is also no particular tender spot.
If the symptoms are not matched by the conventional criteria for the growing pains then the differential diagnosis is needed to take into consideration.
The parents and the children require getting reassured of the self-limiting behaviour of such traumatic condition. When accompanied by pain a child gets, then simply rubbing or massaging the leg is generally all that is required to get the child again sleep. In extreme cases, drugs that are used as anti-inflammatory one can be of great help if taken at bed time. The overall situation is self limiting and is capable resolving at its own consequently.