Growing Pains

Your five-year old complains that her legs hurt and the pain sometimes disturbs her sleep at night. Your mother laughs it off as "growing pains" and tells you to relax, she'll grow out of it. But are there really such a things as "growing pains"?

Children playing soccer.

Up to 40% of children in early childhood (3-5 years of age) and adolescence (8-12 years of age) experience growing pains. They mostly occur in the late afternoon or early evening, although they have been known to wake a sleeping child.

Generally, the pain is located in muscles in the calves, thighs, or behind the knees. The pain occurs in both legs and there is no swelling or redness present.


Of course, if your child is experiencing pain, it is wise to rule out other causes, especially if any of the following symptoms are also present:

  • Limping
  • Fever
  • Redness or swelling of the joints (knees or ankles)
  • Pain that won't go away
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fatigue

Often times, a visit to our office will uncover a spinal problem that may be contributing to your child's pain. Chiropractic adjustments are modified to take the size of the child into consideration. Many children seem to enjoy better health and a decrease in pain after beginning chiropractic care in our office.

Please let us know if your child is experiencing any type of pain for which a cause cannot be found. We will be happy to examine your child to determine whether there is any type of spinal nerve interference that could be a contributing factor. We do not believe that any child should have to live with "growing pains."

 Dr. John Asks some important questions of interest to Pittsburgh residents - Chiropractor Pittsburgh Dr. John Asks...

What controls every cell, tissue and organ of your body?
DNA? Wrong. Immune system? Wrong? Hormones? Wrong. It's your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord and all the nerves of your body. When a chiropractor sees a Pittsburgh patient with say, stomach problems, we want to know why the brain is unable to properly control and regulate the stomach. Which prompts us to examine the nervous system—the focus of chiropractic care.
What is the significance of "growing pains?"
Chiropractors know that aches or pains at any age mean something's not right. In fact, many children go through stages of growth without aches or pains. So while "growing pains" may be common, they're not normal. That's why our Pittsburgh chiropractic practice sees lots of children. A chiropractic checkup for your child can often help detect and correct problems that are more difficult to correct in Pittsburgh adults.