My Daughter Says Her Legs Hurt, What Can I Do?

My son is 9 and has been complaining of leg pain for quite some years now. I used to get up in the middle of the night with him and massage his legs. I've tried Tylenol and everything else I can think of. I even questioned if it might be Restless Leg Syndrome, but the doctor was skeptical because of his age. I assume it's growing pains at this point. I'm wondering what you mean when you say her lab results are abnormal? I would think a pediatrician would look into abnormal results of any kind. I understand though, that it's quite common especially in very active children.

D.,

Call Keverne Collison who owns Balanced Vitality. I have worked with several physicians and health care practitioners. I am a physical therapist and recommend you call her ASAP. She will help.

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C.
www.momeezpt.com

Soemthing similar happened to me as a young child. I was put into the hospital @ Loma Linda University in California. Doctors were flownn in from all over the world and nothign coudl be foudn wrong. The only thing they saw was in x-rays, there would be a cloudy dot on both of my knees. as I continued to grow up I have a lot of knee pain. As an adult I have pain in cold weather. They never did fidn what was wrong. The symptoms to me now seem like Arthritis. Best of luck!

I would get a third opinion and I would push to have some more testing done (MRI, pet scan).

I am a chilhood cancer survivor and I saw many cases in which well intentioned drs did not test enough because it was something they hadn't seen before. In my case, it took my mom pushing for more tests and then they found it right away.

I hope and pray that it is just growing pains, but I would suggest going with your instincts and pushing for more testing.

I heard about this from a friend who's son had the same complaints. His doctor said that there is a virus children get that can cause leg pain. I am sorry I don't know the name of the virus, but your doctor should. If you continue to get blown off by your doctor, find a new one who will listen to you and your daughter. Good luck - hope she feels better soon.

make sure shes hydrated. if shes not drinking anough it can cause her muscles to tense up and ache. bananas work well to because of the amount of potassium they have. try giving her tylenol or motrin when her pain starts. i would push for further tests if her dr cant explain why her labs are comming back abnormal. good luck!

Keep pushing and and trust your instincts. Doctors do not know everything (how can they- they are human after all) and we have to fight for ourselves. Get them to keep testing and send her to a specialist?

That being said, I remember having painful growing pains as a kid. I used to get charlie horses in the middle of the night too which are extremely painful. Adding more potassium and calcium to my diet helped with those. I think dreyers or breyers(ice cream) is high in potassium and will have some calcium. :) Also bananas of course.

Take notes about dates and times that this happens. Also take notes about her daily activity and what she eats. I would seek a second opinion and push the topic if your instincts say to! We are our child's advocate when it comes to healthcare. Don't be afraid to voice your concerns over and over!

Hi D.,

I understand your concerns. Pain is her body's way of saying do something. It could be just going pains, but I'd get a second opinion. Have a rheumatologist check for tender point relating to Fibromyalgia. She also may have Restless Leg Syndrome that can be mild to severe. I would persue having xrays and if you can afford it, a MRI to rule out anything lethal.
Make sure you daughter is taking a good vitamin & mineral complex, plus make sure she is getting enough calcium and magnesium too.

God Bless & Good Luck ~ F.

Hi D...... It's not uncommon for children this age to have growing pains however, seeing that those particular labs are abnormal makes me concerned that she has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Are her joints swollen, red and hot? Has she been running fevers? Any unexplained rashes? She should have a workup for rheumatoid arthritis. There are forms of JRA with a negative RF. Rheumatoid factor is NOT the definitive marker for JRA. I don't know where you live but there are good peds rheumys at Childrens in LA, Childrens in Orange and San Diego and Miller Childrens in Long Beach. I am a nurse practitioner with a specialty in pediatric rheumatology and if you have any questions you can contact me at ____@____.com luck with your daughter.
S.

Hi D.. Im so sorry your daughter is going through the growing pains, but it happens. My g-son is now 15. When he was that age not only did his legs and feet hurt but his back to, but not all at once. It will get better.She will have the growing pains through the time she is growing up.
J.

I am a former emergency room, RN. I was placed off work in 99 due to a back injury. I have stuffed since my injury and over the years my health got worse and the pain intensified. In May of 2007 I was diagnosed by my rheumatologist with a very unfamiliar medical condition called Fibromyalgia. As I began my nursing investigation, regarding this sometimes thought of mystical condition, I realized how many people I knew actually had it. They just didn't talk about it because of how some of the medical professionals have treated them in the past. As a nurse I knew that is why I had never gone back to the doctors for my back after 3 years of treatment. As my symptoms worsened I knew I would be brushed off. I still love doctors!!

I have been trying to read all sorts of information about Fibro. Through the learning process I have also found out that children can have Fibromyalgia and one of their main symtoms that begins is leg pain. This alarmed me because my 4 year old daughter has leg pain regularly and at times also has arm and elow pain. I have been paying close attention to her pain. It comes at night, while sleeping, will wake in am, during the day, sometimes after a hard day of play which of course makes sense, but also after a relaxing day at home. There is no rim or reason for this. Her right lower leg is the biggest problem. But as a nurse I know that a doctor will just brush off all this pain to "growing pains". I am not saying that my daughter has it, but I sure am open to the idea after my research. I will continue my search for more answers because right now there is very little knowledge of this disease process. Please don't think I am suggesting that your daughter could have Fibro. But it is something out of the norm, especially in children. I too worry about my daughter as you do. I just said 2 days ago that I should at least make her an appointment, no matter how frustrating it may be.

Here is the name of one of the books I have used to broaden my knowledge. "What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyaglia" by R. Paul St. Amand, MD and Claudia Craig Marek. There is another book that has more info by the same author with the same title but Pediatric Fibromyalgia. I am also not promoting these books or treatment modality, but as a tool to increase your awareness. Use the internet also. Like I told you there is little info about Fibro and some doctors differ in their opinion. I will keep you and your daughter in my prayers. I was also wondering what were the abnormalities on your daughter's lab work if you don't mind? In the mean while, I use Tylenol, warm baths, a heating pad, and rub her legs to help with my daughter's pain.

Take care and God bless.
S.

Time for second opinion. Trust your gut D..

If it were me I'd get another opinion. How is her lab work abnormal? Maybe that will help you narrow down who you should see. Go with your instincts.

D.,
My daughter has been having nighttime growing pains since she was about 4 yrs old. We usually give motrin preventatively when she seems to be having a bout of them. However, my daughter has not had abnormal lab work. You didn't specify what exactly is abnormal. If you are uncomfortable with your docs treatment of your daughter and feel that he/she is not listening to you, either address it again with the doc to try to get further testing or switch to a new doc who is willing to listen. Mother's intuition is a powerful thing and if yours is yelling something at you, you should listen.

Good Luck,
T.

Hi D., Everything I have heard and read. growing pains have nothing to do with physcial pain, but the emotions, dram, fears, that a child goes through as they get older. I don't know if kids can get this but if she is mainly complaining at night, she may have Restless leg Symdrom, I would ask her doctor about that. I had it, and the pain was so bad that it woke me up out of a sound sleep. So find out, also have them run a test to check for curculation. make sure there is nothing qwrong with that. Keep me posted if you don't mind. J.

My daughter had the same thing at about her age. She would wake up with severe pains in one or both of her legs, since both my mom and I are subject to "charlie horses" cramping of the calf muscle I would just rub extremely hard where it hurt. I also upped her potassium, bananas, fortified Orange juice, and baked potatoes.
Then I learned a trick from a hospice nurse, she said to place a bar of soap at the foot of the bed under the sheets, not sure why it worked but it did. We used Ivory I don't remember now if the brand mattered. She's 10 now and no more leg pains, and no more soap needed.

L.

When you say her bloodwork comes back abnormal, what numbers are off?

Sometime leg cramping can come from someone being anemic. She may need to eat things that are high in iron, like red meat, beans, spinach, etc.

You can not fault your doctor for not knowing what is going on. They are only trained to treat symptoms, not find out a cause or a cure. They are not agressive because until all your symptoms fit into their book, they have no idea what to call "it".

Nutriton plays the most important role in a growing child and any adult for that matter.

Keep a food and exercise log. See what is going on. What is her food intake and her exercise on the "painful" days? The legs are the carrieer of the blood through the body. Usually when it is in the legs, it really has nothing to do with the legs.

What have you changed nutritionally? What foods have you added or better yet removed from her diet? Is she receiving the proper nutritional supplements? Our food is depleted of all vitamins, nutrients and minerals, we need to add them to our diet. Whether you want to bleieve that or not, it is true. The amount of TOXINS we ingest in ONE DAY is equivalent to what our grandparents ingested in one year!

I teach families how to make very small inexpensive changes that will teach them how to handle what poor nutrition has created in our society.

I do not charge a fee for family consultations.

If you want to chat more...

B.
Family Nutritional Coach
www.HeyYouGetReal.com
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I would get a second opinion if I were you. Sometimes doctors don't listen, when you are her mom and you know her best. Even if nothing comes of it, you'll feel better just having peace of mind. Good luck! :)

i am not a doctor, just another mom. My eldest went through the same exact thing.She just turned 16 and has the longest, prettiest legs.She had awful growing pains at that age and a little older. I thought for sure something horrible was wrong.
For her, it really just was "growing pains"

my neighbors son was complaining about his thigh area hurting and she let it go. Finally he it got so bad that she rushed him to the er and they said that he has sarcoma cancer in his hip. You might want to look into it. Hopefully your circumstances is not as alarming. Good Luck!

Take your daughter and any lab work to an arthritis doctor. I was diagnoised with rhem arthritis when I was young. I had aching joints and pains in my legs and feet. Also give your daughter a banana every 2 or 3 days during the week. She might be having charley horses in her legs. The pain will go away if she is. I hope this helps.

If you can self refer, I'd take her on my own to the rheumatolgist. If not, I'd insist to the pediatrician to have it.

I just had the panel drawn after a long bout with food poisoning which manifested later as arthritis symptoms-- now I have a positive ANA. My RF was negative. If my symptoms had not gone away, my physician was going to refer me because he said a rheumatologist can get more specific tests done than the basic screenings.

If she has symptoms and some abnormal blood work, I'd get a specialist involved, despite the pediatrician (I'm also a peds RN). It might be just growing pains, but then you'd have that peace of mind vs. wondering.

Good luck and I hope she feels better.

Trust your insticts mama, keep pushing for an answer. Leg pains sounds normal but I think you are concerned with abnormal labwork in conjunction with that. If the Dr's aren't being aggresive YOU have to be. Good luck.

Thank God I'm not alone...I thought only my 5 year old son is having this leg pains..I thought he got it from jumping, running, jumping, running while playing with other kids...maybe his legs are stressed out that is how I can describe it...he only complains sometimes at night crying, I will put some ointment(for muscular pains) and massage them..I told my husband about and he said his legs were like that when he was still a kid,also my legs were like that..I dont know if its hereditary...I hope your daughter is ok..

D.,
have your doc give u a referal to a specialist, if he wont get a second opinion! You're right to want them to be more aggresive, demand that they give you some answers regarding her lab work too!
Good Luck!

My son had that same problem when he was about 3yrs old going on 4yr. It could be just growing pains like the doctor says, but i would insist on getting your child seen by a specialist and be tested for rheumatoid arthritis. My son's lab work had came back abnormal as well and then we went to the specialist and luckily, it was nothing.

Hi. I was going to tell you that it is most likely growing pains too. My daughter is 4 1/2 and she tells me all the time that her legs hurt. I rub them and she tells me they feel better in a day or two. I understand your concern however. When my 17 year old nephew was about this age he too complained of the pain in his legs, and my sister took him to the pediatrician many times for it. There was nothing wrong and it was just growing pains. This is why I haven't beeen too worried about my daughter. What keeps coming back abnormal on your daughter's tests? What has the doctor been able to explain to you about the tests? Can you get a second opinion? It is very scary to think of one of your kids being seriously ill. I know this because my friends daughter developed cancer a the age of two. She is 5 now and has had a ton of stuff happen in her young life.
Kids do get growing pains. They do hurt. They can be very painful in fact. But if you are concerned at all, I would say get that second opinion. It is better safe than sorry.
take care, and I am sure everything is going to be okay.

My daughter is a teen now, but at the exact same age (from about age 4-7) she had a lot of leg pains. The doctor told us also it was growing pains. She never had lab work on it. She finally grew out of it. This isn't much help, but maybe will give you some comfort knowing that she will grow out of it. But since the lab is abnormal, I don't know why the doctor hasn't had you follow up on it. My other daughter is 9 and still has some leg pains, so we heat up one of those gel packs you get at Target and that helps, so we don't have to give her medicine. These gel packs are called something like icy/hot and you can either freeze them or heat them in the microwave. They work great.

I say go with what you gut is telling you. If you feel that it is more keep pushing for an answer. I'm sure you have had her blood checked for a lot of different things. I don't want to put a scare in here and I'm sure this is abosultely not it but you may want to have her blood checked for leukemia.

As I said I'm not trying to be an alarmest or anything like that. I did have leukemia when I was 3 years old and my Mom once told me that I was complaining about my legs always hurting. But also I lost a lot of color bruised easily and almost turned yellow. So if none of these other things are happening I wouldn't worry about it being leukemia.

I hope you search leads you to growing pains and that they stop soon.

Take Care

L.

Hello D., Please dont hesitate to seek another opinion or have x-rays done. My son (10)was complaining of back pain back in April of this year and I waited as long as possible just to find out it was something that has completely turned my life upside down. Insist that her Doctor run more tests, especially if the previous tests keep coming back abnormal. Im not trying to scare you and I hope I didn't, But as a mother too, you need to take care of your baby. Good luck.

Hi D.....I'm not sure about the abnormal lab tests...but both my brother and I both had leg pains while very young...Dad had a bottle of "special" lotion, and would rub our legs with it, make them more comfortable, and we would go back to sleep. I think Mom gave Vitamin D to my brother and it helped, but not with me....we're several years apart. Now, my daughter (4) wakes up with leg pains, so I rub her legs with a special bottle of lotion, she relaxs and usually asleep before I finish. NOw days, you can always ask a Pharamiscist, or even in a health food store, or check on line about vitamin defiency and leg pain...good luck.

I would do alot of research on my own about the abnormal tests and pressure the dr. and keep getting different opinions till you find one that will listen to you and explain why the abnormalities. My sons growing pains had nothing to do with abnormal tests.
I wish you the best.

I know what you are saying and yes it probably is growing pains. A little tylenol or motrin usually will help. My daughter had the same thing. She is now 5'10" and 17. she had the pains if I remember right until about 12. Not every day or night but often on. Unless there is some other symptom that you didn't say in the question I reccomend a little pain releiver and a little massage to help her relax. She will grow out of it eventually. And she'll probably be pretty tall too.

What does the doctor say about the abnormal lab tests? It sounds like you need to get much more aggressive in pursuing a solution. Maybe take the lab results and go to another doctor for a second opinion. Please document everything. Record each meeting results and get a copy of all tests, and other labwork. And act quickly, because much time is being wasted, and you could be jeopardising your child's health. Good luck and best wishes!
T.

Hi,
Late response, but thought it was worth a little input. My daughter says her legs "hurt" sometimes as well. I don't think it's a hurt sensation she is feeling , but I'm sure she doesn't know what else to describe it as. Anyway, I'm looking into "restless leg syndrome". Her Father has it and the symptoms show up at night. My , now 7 year old, can tell me when it starts in her legs, and it's always at night. I give her Motrin and she sleeps well. Just thought it was worth a mention. Good Luck! I have found raising a child is the most difficult "job" in the world! But most rewarding!!!

Hi D.,

Have you had the lab work looked at by doctors outside the practice you are in?

I would recommend taking it to a few different sources.....I have a wonderful holistic doctor who is board certified Internal medicine. If you would like his information, please email me.

I would keep pursueing this until you get answers that give you peace of mind.

Best wishes

That sounds really stressful, D.! I feel for you and your daughter. How is her labwork abnormal? What do they say about her abnormal labwork?

Hi D.,
My knee-jerk reaction when I read your post was "second opinion". Or third. Or fourth if that's what it takes to put your mind at ease. And then I read your other responses and wanted to second what Lisa mentioned. My mom, who used to suffer from severe night leg cramps, swears by the Ivory-soap-under-the-sheets-thing. She read about it, tried it, and apparently it works. Sounds crazy, but worth a shot? I wish you all the best.

Get a second opinion. Maybe the next doctor will run more tests to find out what the abnormality is. You will probably have to pay for that second opinion out of your own pocket, but your child's life is worth it and so is your own peace of mind. In the meantime make sure she drinks a lot of milk and water. If it is in fact growing pains, the milk provides the bones with calcium for strength and water helps prevent the muscles from cramping. Have her sit with her legs out in front of her, flex her toes and grab and hold them for as long as possible. At bed time rub her legs for her. The best of luck to you and your daughter!

growing pains waking a child up at night is NOT NORMAL. Combined with abnormal blood work?? What is up with your pediatrician? Do you have HMO?
You are the Mama and you are going to have to be a strong advocate for your child.
If you are not getting answers from your pediatrician, then you go elsewhere and keep researching!!!
the more info you have to give the dr the better they can help your child.
Keep a log of the # of nights she is waking up, check her activities from the previous day. YOu may want to also track her eating habits.

I had crohns disease undiagnosed for 40 years, no one ever put my symptoms together until 12 years after my sister had been diagnosed.
Good luck!

i remember having really bad growing pains as a child in my calves and legs. My parents use to rub rubbing alcohol on them and massage them. You might try that. Also if the lab work is coming back abnormal and your doctor doesn't seem to be bothered by it then maybe you should find your little girl a new doctor. I'm sure everything is fine but it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion. Well good luck to you both.

I would take her to get a second opinion. Most insurances cover this. I would request to go some place like Loma Linda where they have a children's hospital and Dr.'s that see this everyday.

D.,
I am just wondering what "abnormal" lab results are showing? That will tell you something to work on.
Sincerely,
D. R.

Hi D.,
My middle son who is now 14 used to always complain abour leg pain he would sometimes wake up and be unable to walk. He would run and it was like his leg would just give out. I took him to the doctors who sent him to a orthopedic and to this day they never found out what was wrong. Thankfully it went away he is now playing high school football and is very healthy. You said her test keep coming back abnormal can you be more specific? What test and how abnormal? Have you tried webmd.com to put in her symptoms? I hope it is just growing pains but I urge you to listen to your mom's intuition if you think something more is wrong get another opinion you are your childs BEST advocate. Good luck

I haven't had any experience like this with my son but I do know that working with an HMO is not easy, some of these doctors seem incompetant or don't take us seriously. I had my own personal ordeal with my own PCP/ HMO this year and I basically had to tell the doctor what to do and argue with him until he was so sick of me that he gave me the referal I was asking for. In the end I did need a specialist's care and I was relieved that I didnt take no fpr an answer. My advice is that you be persitant & if need be call your HMO or insurance co to see what they can do for you. Once all this is said and done I would really consider switching your daughter's pediatrician. You really need someone to listen to your concerns & and who is genuinely concerned with helping his/her patients and won't disregard labwork.
Good luck & I hope that all is OK!

I am really sorry that you need to go through this. How concerned was the doctor about the abnormal results? Did they say that those results could have been from growing pain? I would be concerned too.
I wish you and your daughter the best.

M.
www.royaldanceparty.com

Both my stepson and my 4 year old daughter have gone through the same thing! My daughter is still going through it.

My stepson went through such a fast growth spurt (he always grew in sudden spurts) that he actually limped, had lots of pain and looked like an elderly person when getting up off the floor from a sitting position! We feared the worst. He had test after test and even an MRI. Turns out, it was really just growing pains! He is fine now. He is 19, walks and runs perfectly--(and he is very handsome!)

My daughter's pain is mostly in her feet and it sometimes wakes her up at night with pain.

So, maybe it is truly growing pains. However, always follow your mommy instincts. If you aren't getting the attention you feel is needed, go to other doctors. Don't stop--because doctors certainly miss things. Moms ALWAYS know their children best!

Best of luck to you!!!

S.

My dr. recommended extra potassium when my daughter went through her growing pains-the same age as your daughter. She won't eat banansa so i bought the potassium orange jucie

I remember being about her age and having growing pains. My legs hurt so bad sometimes I would refuse to walk. I grew out of them and have never had any other problems. You may try giving her some tylenol of motrin when the pain gets really bad. I'm so sorry she's hurting

I have not read the other replies so this may be repetitive, but my daughter was the same way. What I would do was take a hand-towel and warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time and apply it to the painful knee. Before I discovered the heated towel, I used "Iceyhot" ointment and it worked well, but when I discovered that the towel worked, I decided to only use the towel because I wanted to avoid using non-natural remedies whenever possible- especially because she was so young. Occassionaly I'd still have to use the ointment because the towel didn't help, however. (Be careful not to overdo the heating time on the towel- Once I actually scorched the towel because I put too much time.) She's now 12 and the pain has stopped. We can't remember exactly when they stopped, but she hasn't had them for at least 4 years now.
Good luck to you and your little one. I hope this helps.

Abnormal blood work is a red flag. Trust your gut and follow through with a second opinion. My sister's three year old daughter had acute lymphatic leukemia (fatal in five to seven days). On days one, two & three, the same doctor brushed my sister off as a hypochondrial mother whose daughter had the flu. On day four, she insisted on the blood test (loudly, tearfully and bullishly). Not taking 'no' for an answer saved her daughter's life. Sometimes, we will be the only person who sees the elephant in the room.

For some reason doctors think we woman are just over worrying. My 4 year old daughter was diagnosed with cancer in March. She started with leg pain turned to limping which turned to crawling which turned to not walking or crawling at all. This was in a 3 week period with multiple visits to the doctor all of which came back that she had growing pains. "I don't think your daughter has cancer so I am not trying to scare you!" I just really had to fight for my daughter. They sent her finally to a specialist for orthopedics at a local children's hospital and they wanted me to wait 3 weeks for an appointment. I had to fight to get her in and when they finally looked at her they sent me to labs and in 12 hours we where diagnosed with Acute lymphablastic Leukemia. All I am saying is even when the doctors tell you not to trust your gut... TRUST YOUR GUT!!!

Hi, D.!

I'm so sorry your daughter is suffering. When my daughter was six, she had arthritis symptoms -- mostly pain in her legs. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease even though we never noticed a tick bite or the red "bullseye" rash you're supposed to see. She was treated with penicillin shots and is fine today. (She's 25). You may want to get her tested for it if everything else is ruled out.

Best Wishes,
E. F

It's growing pains.

You need to get her a second opinion and evaluation.

If her tests are "abnormal"... well then, something is NOT normal... the Doctor should be explaining the tests to you that are not normal, what they mean, the course of action, the treatment or testing for it, etc. AND refer you to a specialist.

I would give the Doctor a call... MAKE him/her explain to you WHY THE TESTS ARE NOT NORMAL. WHAT does it mean? And, how come he is just saying it's "growing pains" if her tests are abnormal????

Really, seek something more conclusive.
All the best and take care,
Susan

Sounds like growing pains to me!!!!!!!!

take her to a foot doctor - I child did the same thing when she was five and I can not remember the name of it. She had her to some exercises and it helped. As for the lab work not normal I would try a internist doctor.