If your child has ever woken up crying with an ache in their legs, only for it to be gone by morning, you have likely encountered growing pains. They can be worrying to witness as a parent, especially when your child is uncomfortable and you are not sure what is causing it. The good news is that growing pains are common and usually harmless. Still, it helps to understand what they are, how to tell them apart from something more serious, and what you can do to help your child feel better.
At At Last Chiropractic in Lithia, FL, we care for families across FishHawk, Riverview, Brandon, and Valrico, and questions about children’s aches and pains come up often. Here is a clear look at growing pains and where gentle chiropractic care may fit in.
What Are Growing Pains?
Growing pains are aching or throbbing sensations that most often show up in a child’s legs, usually in the muscles of the thighs, calves, or behind the knees. They tend to appear in the late afternoon or evening and can sometimes wake a child during the night. By morning, the discomfort is typically gone.
Growing pains are most common in children between the ages of three and twelve. Despite the name, current understanding suggests they are not actually caused by the growth of bones. They usually affect both legs rather than one, and they do not cause lasting harm. For most children, they are simply a normal, if uncomfortable, part of childhood.
What Causes Growing Pains?
The honest answer is that the exact cause is not fully understood. What we do know is that growing pains often show up after busy, active days filled with running, jumping, and playing. Tired, overworked muscles are thought to play a role.
Some children who experience growing pains may also have differences in how they stand or move, such as flat feet or particular posture and gait patterns, that place extra stress on the muscles of the legs. Because every child is different, it helps to look at the whole picture rather than assume a single cause.
How to Tell Growing Pains From Something Else
This is the most important part of the conversation. Growing pains are what doctors call a diagnosis of exclusion, which means other causes should be ruled out first. Typical growing pains come and go, affect both legs, involve the muscles rather than the joints, and leave your child feeling completely normal during the day.
Certain signs are not typical of growing pains and deserve a visit to your child’s pediatrician. These include pain in one specific spot or joint, swelling, redness, or warmth around a joint, a limp or difficulty walking, pain that is present during the day, pain that follows an injury, or pain that comes with fever, unusual tiredness, loss of appetite, or weight loss. If you notice any of these, please have your child evaluated by their doctor rather than assuming it is simply growing pains.
Comforting Your Child at Home
When growing pains strike, there is a lot you can do to help your child feel more comfortable. Gently massaging the achy muscles is often soothing. A warm compress or a warm bath before bed can help relax tired legs. Simple stretching during the day, especially of the calves and thighs, may reduce how often the pains occur.
Reassurance matters too. Growing pains can be frightening for a young child who does not understand what is happening. Letting them know the pain is normal, will pass, and is not dangerous can be as comforting as any physical remedy.
Where Chiropractic Care Fits In
It is important to be clear and honest. Chiropractic care does not diagnose, treat, or cure growing pains, and it is not a replacement for your pediatrician. What gentle chiropractic care can do is support your child’s overall musculoskeletal balance and nervous system function.
Because posture, gait, and how the body carries and distributes stress can influence muscle comfort, some families find that supporting healthy spinal alignment and movement helps their active child feel better overall. We always look at the whole child and are glad to work alongside your pediatrician. If anything we notice suggests a concern outside our scope, we will tell you and encourage you to follow up with your child’s doctor.
Our Gentle Approach for Kids
Parents are often surprised by how gentle chiropractic care for children really is. We use the Torque Release Technique and the Integrator instrument, a light, precise method with no twisting, cracking, or forceful manipulation. Many children find their visits quick and comfortable, and some barely notice the adjustment at all.
Every child is evaluated as an individual, so any care is tailored to their age, size, and needs. Our goal is simply to support your child’s comfort and healthy development while you have the reassurance of a caring team in your corner.
If your child has been dealing with growing pains and you would like a gentle, whole-child evaluation, we would be glad to help. Dr. Anthony Taylor, Dr. Carissa Hughes, and Dr. Jenna Eason will take the time to understand what is going on, answer your questions honestly, and work alongside your pediatrician when needed. Book your appointment today at At Last Chiropractic in Lithia, FL, or ask about our new patient special offer to get started.
