Son with Pain Behind Knees Every Morning

Not trying to be alarming, but get him a blood test. Several other posters have stated that leg pains were the only symptom their children had when they found out they had leukemia or other forms of cancer.

My son has similar issues though they are at night. We use a 'hot sock', one of dad's long socks filled with plain dry white rice which we microwave, until it's warm not hot, so he can lay his legs on it. It works for us, maybe you could try taking it in to him before he wakes up? It might help. Best wishes!!

Hi, T.! Before I finished reading your story, I also immediately thought growing pains, but that doesn't seem to be it. The next thing that came to my mind is that maybe your son is unknowingly sleeping in a strange position where his legs are twisted or not getting good circulation and maybe his legs kind of "go to sleep". You know, like when you were a kid and would sit "Indian Style" and sometimes your feet would fall asleep and lose their feeling? I know when I was in college, I must have clenched my fist on one hand at night (probably due to stress) and I guess I slept with it clenched all night and I had major problems with my wrist for a long time. I know this is a little different than your situation, but the point is, once I realized I was doing the clenching, I slept with a wrist brace on my hand so I couldn't clench it and, therefore, retrained myself to sleep with my hand straight. Maybe your son curls his legs up tightly and the blood is not circulating well, which would explain why the pain is only in the morning and works itself out after a little while after he's up and moving. Just a thought that makes sense to me :) Hope this might help!
S. L.

T.,
When I was 8 years old the doctor told my mother that I had osteoarthritis which started in my knees. At that time nothing showed up on x-ray or test but he said it was there all the same. I am now 55 years old and have Degenerative Osteoarthritis throughout most of my body. Like your son when I wake in the morning is my worse time. The best for him is a hot shower first thing or bath, as soon as he wakes up in the morning, the hotter the better. This heats up those joints to where he can move better. You may have to carry him in there and sit him in the tub. If there is some way you can heat his bed at night this will help to keep the joints from stiffing up overnight. I have used electric blankets and electric mattress pad covers [these have worked the best for me]. Water beds can help also but I don't recommend those for children. Even in the summer time I use these on low to keep my joints from freezing up. It doesn't make sense I know but it works. I cried when I read your message because I can just feel the little guy's pain. Please continue to seek out the answer for him. I was 12 before anything showed up on x-ray. I am just glad that mom had a doctor who was very wise. I will be praying for your son.
S.

Hi T.,

I worked in Orthopedics for 8 years before becoming an Emergency Medical Tech. If your son is having that much pain, then there is something going on. Take him to someone in the orthopedic field who specializes in pediatric orthopedics. Children should not have THAT much pain in the morning like that. I assume you took him to his pediatricion or family doctor. They would not test for anything more extensive really especially in the orthopedic field.

It could be that he only needs to stretch his muscles and needs some therapy or it could be there really is something more going on. I do not believe this has anything to do with heel spurs being the pain is in the back of his knees. Heel spurs make your feet hurt to walk. Not your knees. Also, one of the other response said something about Osteochondritis Desiecans: This would be more on the front of the knee and sides. Baker's cyst I really do not believe would cause this much pain and you would be able to feel a knot behind the knee.

In any case, I do recommend Texas Children's Hospital or and indapendent Pediatric Orthopedic for a second opinion. I hope you find your answers and for his sake soon so he can start his days a whole lot brighter.

God Bless!
S. R.

This does not sound like growing pains to me! I would definitely insist on testing. Go to another doctor. Keep trying different ones until you get an answer. Also, make sure you have him on a good multi-vitamin and calcium supplement. Not Walmart brand! Generics and flinstones are junk vitamins that can cause more harm than good. There are some good vitamins out there. I would recommend Shaklee because I'm most familiar with it. But, do your research and find something good and a good doc.

I can only imagine the fears that you're dealing with. God is in control and he has also given us the ability to be proactive. I'm only on my second child, but I've learned to be firm with doctors and insistent when it comes to those blow-off responses. Pray about it and see where He leads you. You may end up helping others in the same situation.

I would suggest that you check on him periodically through the night for a couple of nights and see if it is the position he is sleeping in. My son had growing pains in his legs too and he could hardly stand up first thing in the morning either. God bless.

Hi :)
My niece had a simular problem when much younger, It turned out that she was taking in way too much potassium? Soft drinks and poor diet were the cause of her problem. Her knees would give out and she would crumble in the floor!
I pray you find your answer but cutting back on potassium after checking with a differant doctor could help...

I am now a 60 year old woman who also had "growing pains" but today, I have multiple auto immune system problems - from Sjogren's Syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic myofacial pain, scoliosis of the spine (as a result of the chronic myofacial pain pulling the spine out of place), spinal stenosis, no thyroid (auto immune system attacking the thyroid killed it) to neuropathy in hands, feet and legs. SO, don't give up with one doctor. That "growing pains" is mostly a way of saying "I don't know what is wrong with your child".

I am glad that God is part of your life, but for your sake, I suggest a closer relationship with Him. Do you participate in church? Please find one that is a Bible believing church - it makes a huge difference in your relationship with Him and with your family. I know - been there!

Best wishes for you and your son. If you can, find a pediatric rheumatologist - and see if they thyroid is doing what it should. Remember that the thyroid readings should be static - if not, it needs to be checked into more closely. My parents were told that my pain was just "growing pains" and back then, no one knew to check further. God Bless you and family.

You don't say if your son goes to a pediatrician or to a general practitioner or a clinic. If you are not using a pediatrician, find a good one. If you are convinced your son is not using this for attention, do not give up pursuing it medically. Do not give up. Doctors judge the seriousness of a problem by the amount of concern of the parent.Explore all possibilities, if this doctor blows you off, find another one.There are other possibilities other than JRA. It could be muscular or bone for example. It could be a deficiency and serious or as simple as muscle cramping or "charlie horses", but whatever it is, even if it is psychological, you should explore it professionally and not on your own.

Okay...I looked this one up. Though I couldn't pinpoint how it applied to diabetes...it was a recurring word that popped up.

I am not sure where your son was NOT diagnosed with r.arthritis, but I would go to a specialist @ TX children's to have a second opinion (if that's not where you've already been).

Osteochondritis dissecans: this condition occurs because a fragment of bone forms for unknown reasons and can cause vague knee pain. Children can also have more severe pain, swelling of the knee, locking of the knee or it may cause the knee to give way. The diagnosis is made with an x-ray. While minor cases in younger children can be observed without treatment and may heal, in older children, or those with more severe symptoms, repair with arthroscopic surgery will probably be required

Osgood Schlatters Disease, which was a pain in front of the knee..but kept recurring in my research.

Baker's cyst: A swelling or cyst at the back of the knee which is usually associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

And...Patellofemoral syndrome...usually occurring in adolescents and young adults. It is pain behind the knee-cap. But it's symptoms show up after about 30 min of hard exercise.

I did find a homeopathic helper for joint pain that is not blood sugar inducing like glucosamine...Greek Island Lab's Natural ____@____.com luck with your son. I pray you will find the answers you are looking for!

Hello,

My son is 4 and recently experienced growing pains, but none like your son.

I was writing to tell you about my cousin's son. He was having bad leg pains that would bring him to tears. His eventually was throughout the day. Their doctor had a medical term for it that I can't remember, but basically his bones were growing faster than his muscles. The doctor encouraged gymnastics and swimming to help the problem and ease the pain.

Your son might not have the same problem, but you might want to ask the doctor if it might be similar.

HTH
-J.

I really don't know but wanted to encourage you to find a doctor who will take you seriously and help you find the cause. Be his advocate!

My son, who is now 17 used to have this and it is very concerning. He seems to be fine now, but his knees are always very senstive but he is a trick skater so he manages just fine. In raising my 5 kids, I always say to go with your instincts, if you instincts tell you that something is wrong, go get it checked. I don't care what the drs. say, because a mothers instincts are usually right.

Hi, T..... I'm so sorry hear this about your boy. I too have a five year old and know what it is to see them in pain. I can only imagine how you feel seeing him go through it every morning, your poor son. I have spoken to my father who has been in sports all his life and has seen a number of growing pains and he assures me he's never heard of them behind the knees. He says that everytime he's heard of complaints of growing pains, they are always in the front of the knees or on the shins. But then again, he is no doctor. Perhaps you should get another professional opinion. Meanwhile, I will keep him in my prayers. I am so sorry I have no advice for you, however. Take care and best of luck.

Hi! Get a second opinion, especially since his daddy has rheumatoid arthritis. Also, if you have a video camera, record him sleeping to see if he sleeps in an awkward position or if he tenses up. All types of pain seems to get better as the day progresses, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth pursuing more information and/or another doctor's diagnosis. Hopefully, it will be a simple problem with a simple solution.

I was told by a doctor that usually people have to be tested several times for rheumatoid arthritis because sometimes the test does not show positive for a while. I know nothing about this...it's just what the doctor said.

My grandmother had it and it was painful to see her go through it. Since your husband has it...I would take your son to a rheumatologist for a complete workup.

Best Wishes!

Try asking your pedi for a referral to a pediatric orthopedist. Without really knowing anything about his medical history, I would guess that whatever is going on is musculoskeletal (bones and muscles). However, if the orthopedist rules out, then perhaps a rheumatologist since it would appear that autoimmune diseases are in his gene pool. As far as a guess to what might be going on, I'm afraid I really don't have much, but those kinds of doctors would be a place to start. And if your pedi can't provide you with a good answer, don't be afraid to tell him/her that while you value his/her opinion, you'd really like an opinion from a specialist. For a five-year-old to not be able to stand in the morning for over a year is not "just one of those things." In the meantime, massage and a warm pack might help at least a little. Hope this helps!

Please take him to another doctor (rheumatologist) for a second opinion...this definitely sounds much more like arthritis than growing pains. Tests for JRA can be false-negative, and they need to treat the child, not the test results. My son has JRA...he's 14 now, and on Enbrel injections and Plaquenil and doing very well. Good luck to all of you, and feel free to email me if you have any questions...there is a great online community for parents/kids of JRA, if that does turn out to be what he has. Lots of support out there.

You may have already thought of this and ruled it out but just in case not - does your son sleep with his legs tucked up under him? My son use to sleep that way and his legs would become numb from the circulation being cut off. Upon waking he could not walk or stand. After a few minutes they would start tingling and to him it was painful to the point of crying. After rubbing them for several several minutes he would be fine.

Hi, T.!
Hearing about your son reminds me of my arthritis. I have arthris in my hands and it mostly acts up in the morining. When I wake up my hands hurt really bad for a while and my joints are hard to move and sometimes feel like they are "popping". Maybe he has some type of arthritis. I grew up with a girl who had some type of arthritis, we were in girl scouts together. I would suggest another doctors opinion and maybe try putting a heating pad around his knees. You could leave it in his room and he could put it on himself every morning. If it is growing pains this may help as well as if it is arthritis. Best wishes!!!

T., I have a little 5 yr old girl that for about a year also has complained of severe leg pains in the mornings. That is the first thing she says when getting up, is her legs hurt. She has severe knee pain and we have already done x-rays, etc. I have an older daughter that had growing pains and they were at night and not in the morning, so if this is growing pains, then they are working differently. I'm sorry i don't have the answers, but i do understand.

My bet friend's daughter had this all her life, and they were also told for years that it was growing pains. Finally, last year, they went to an Orthopedist and discovered it was something with the ligaments and tendons, something she was born with. She had surgery last year on one knee and it worked beautifully. She just had the second knee done last week. She is 14. Worth checking out, I think. And, by the way, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and tested negative for two years before the positive. Good luck!

Our son is 6 years old and started having pains at night and we assumed they were growing pains as well. A year ago we took him to a podiatrist because his walking was a little slow and we weren't sure if it was because we thought he was flat footed. He wasn't flat footed, but we found out he had very little range of motion in his lower body. From his hips down he was unable to comfortable bend or stretch. He is a very tall boy and looks more like an 8 year old. With his body growing so fast his ligaments haven't been able to catch up with the rest of his body and that limits his range of motion. We did physical therapy for 6 weeks and we enrolled him into a tumbling class. We noticed a huge improvement in his running and his movements as well as his sleeping at night. We no longer have the cramps at night like we used. Every now and again he wakes up complaining about his legs, and we know we need to do more stretching exercises with him. Our podiatrist diagnosed him, which was surprising to us, but may be your pediatrician could check that out? I hope that helped some.

he could have heel spurs although he is very young. another thought to go along with the "growing pains" diagnosis, try having him do stretches- use something similar to a large rubber band and pull the front of the foot toward the body while laying on his back. this will stretch the muscles in the calves and hopefully help the pain. this is something that would be good to try before bedtime and also on awakening. loosening up the muscles this way should be helpful. also make sure he is getting enough calcium in his diet. would also cut the sugar .

T.,

I don't have exactly the same problem but it is similar. My daughter has pain in her feet at night. We also had her tested for JRA and she doesn't have it. Her doctor suggested it might be growing pains but the pain does not seem to be anywhere else like her knees which would really suggest growing pains. We started paying attention to what happens each day and we realized her feet hurt when she is very active and she has been wearing her croc's all day. So we have changed to tennis shoes and things seem much better. I guess my suggestion is to think "out of the box". What does he do during the day? What kind of sports is he involved in or what kind of chair is he sitting in? Take him to a physical therapist or even a weight trainer. The muscles behind the knees are a reaction to weakness in the opposite muscles. So something is going on there. You sound like you have done all the normal testing which is great. Maybe take a step further. Let us know.

I dont' know about the pain behind the knees, but I used to have foot pain in the mornings with Plantar Fascitis and stretching the whole calf first thing in the morning might help with behind the knee pain too?!?

Worth a try. Good luck

Jaime

Dear T.
To encourage you, I must tell you that my third son had the exact same problem as your son at approximately the same age. I was worried sick about him, and like you have, pursued every test in the book [which is the best thing you can do]. He was a hyper-allergenic child and at one time was not permitted to eat eggs - I have often wondered if he had a protein deficiency [just a thought]. We could not go shopping without me having to toss this tall skinny son of mine into a shopping cart as he would be in such pain that he would cry with pain....same thing at night. The doctors also told me it was growing pains and growth spurts and he did indeed have long legs as a child. I just think they grew at a different rate to the rest of his body. He was given paediatric anti-inflammatories for the pain and after about a year, he was just fine again.
Continue to take him to medics as long as you are worried, a mother's instincts are always best. I hope like my son, he will outgrow this painful condition soon.
Kind regards
Jewel

My son wakes up a lot with leg pains and has done so for about a year and a half to two years. I really believe it is growing pains because I can rub them down with lotion or aspercreme, depending on the pain level, and he will go back to sleep. Sometimes they are still bothering him in the mornings and we give him a little motrin before school. I hate to medicate the pain but it is not happening as often and it is the only thing that helps during the day. My husband said he experienced the same thing as a child. My daughter who is 4 has now started waking up with leg pains too so. Hopefully something in the response will help you.

I haven't dealt with the pain in the morning, but in the evening and throughout the night with my five year old daughter. She has had this off and on for the last 2-3 years. Her growth spurt has put her through at least 5-6 shoe sizes and 3 clothing sizes. It would be so bad that she would scream and cry to sleep, while we massaged her knees with muscle creams. She would wake up with no problem, which was frustrating.

I don't know if your son has had the same, but I would recommend you asking for an MRI to check for problems in the bones. Best wishes, as I can sympathize!

growing pains! His is just growing and they will leave soon!:)

Sometimes RA doesn't show up on blood tests for many years. I have a friend who went through this. Maybe there is a genetic test for it???? Since your husband has it, I would think the doctors would do all they can to explore RA. I would explore your sons pain thoroughly with specialist until you get answers. It is not normal and you are right to be concerned. Good luck! BTY, I just turned 30 too and it's been hard for me too! :-)

P., mom of three and PT Nurse

I would personally take him to a chiropractor if you haven't already, they tend to be a lot more interested in actually finding out the cause rather than just chalking it up to growing pains! If you need a recommendation- try Dr. Charles Hensley, at Hensley wellness center in north austin. They take Blue Cross. He is a very compassionate doctor and I think would help you get to the bottom of things! Good Luck.

Hi, T.

Just this past week I asked my kid's pediatrican about that because my son get's that every once in a while at nights mostly on the days that he's been very active. And she said it's probably growing pains but to do pay closely attentions because growing pains only happens during the night time and usually goes away after one hr and after giving them motrin/tylenol. But that if it every occured during the day then it could be something more and would have to be checked into. My children's pediatrican is Dr. Noll off of Bandera @ Huebner. I don't know which area you live in but if in case you live in this area you may want to switch Dr. because every doctor I have asked about growing pains they tell me the same that it ONLY happens at night. Because the way you decribe the way your little boy wakes up doesn't sound normal to me and it could be something more serious. I hope some doctor can help him. Take care. I hope he get's better soon.

Have you tried a physical therapist and or a chiropractor? They tend to be more holistic and often seem to have a better understanding of how the body moves and what makes things happen. A word to the wise when selecting a chiropractor: Find one that understands that while chiropractics can do wonderful things to help people, they do have limits and medications are sometimes very necessary. There are chiropractors out there that will try to tell you they are the only doctor you need. Beware of them.

Our family chiropractor does not charge for our kids unless they have a specific injury that needs extensive treatment. He adjusts our son when we need him to be better focused at school for major tests, one of our daughters and I when we get migrains, the baby (she's 31/2) when she gets cranky for no reason. We try to get everyone in (we have 5 kids) at least a couple times a year. Good luck and I hope and pray that you find the answer to your son's pain.

L.

My daughter experienced that as well. It happened one day like she complained her legs hurt. She was four years old. I took her to the emergency room/pediatrian and nothing was discovered ... only growing pains. I gave her children's Tylenol that night and she slept well. Next morning nothing. Good luck in resolving your problem.

My youngest daughter did this as well, only since she was speech delayed was unable to localize the pain. I was also told that it was growing pains, and even though the test came back positive for juvenile arthritis, the doc ruled it out as she could not "localize the pain" I thought it odd to rule it out on just that note, but I'm just "a mom". She continues to have leg pains and is now almost 7. Right now both my girls live in mexico with their grandmother and I have come to learn some new things, First most doctors here don't care...... especially if you have state funded insurance (which we had at the time). Second, the doctors in mexico can find things that ones here don't think of checking. My daughter was taken to the doctor over there, and in the end it was found that she has one leg significantly shorter than the other. She now has some special shoes and does not have as much pain in her legs. Just remember that you are the mom, and although not with a phd, you know your son better than any one, don't give up, it could be growing pains, but keep trying till you have a doctor that will listen to you.

I wonder if his legs are asleep. Does he hang off the bed? I would take him to another doctor!!!!!!!!!

I'm not sure if this would help, and I would consult with your doctor first; but ask your doctor about hamstring and/or calf muscle muscle tightness in his legs. Gentle stetching before bed and just after waking up would help (keeping the legs straight in a sitting V position and gently lean forward for about 10 seconds) and also, while standing, placing one leg at a time behind him and straighten out the knee but keep foot flat on the floor then lean forward(to stretch the calf muscle). Please check with your doctor about this first. Your doctor may recommend that you see a physical therapist for consultation. I hope this info will help. God bless you!

I hope you can find the cause.
I would suggest getting a second opinion. I have done this with my kids and it always paid off in the end by finding a solution to the problem.

I had knee problems when I was a kid and one knee did the exact same thing. We went to 4 diff doctors in one day but they discovered that I had something common to atheletes. I had to wear a brace for a week and anytime after that when I had stressed my knee.

I still wear the braces you can buy at supply stores if I am going to do something where I move a lot- ski, hike. And the next day my knees still ache a little, but at least with a brace I can walk.

Get another opinion and make sure it is not something like arthritis. He may need some specialized treatments or something and the sooner you can start, the better.

good luck

My boss's son had the same symptoms. The ER locally transferred him to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston (luckily only hald an hour from us) and they found that he had a simple viral infection. After several days of rest and a lot of fluid, he was as good as new.

It might be worth a blood test.

Best wishes to all of you!

T.,

Have you ever watched your son sleep? Maybe he is sleeping with his legs tucked under him and cutting off the circulation. That could cause his knees to hurt in the mornings. I know when I sleep I tuck my arms under me and sure enough my arms feel like they are going to fall off. They tingle and hurt for a while after I wake up. I have to make a concious effort to stretch my arms out from under me in the middle of the night!

Good luck and God Bless
Z., Floresville TX

Hi,
I don't have children,but did work for 35 years with children with handicapps. In addition I have several neurological problems in my family. You might want to check with a neurologist. It could be a pinched nerve or pressure on a disc in the back that laying down for extended periods of time causes pain and paralyis.

I don't know if this is the same thing. But my sister and I both had pain in our knees and do still to this day. I can feel my pain spread from my knees down my leg and up to my hips as well. Occasionally I have it in my wrists and up my arms too. No doctor could even tell me what was wrong but just prescribed prescription pain reliever. It never affected my functionality. I would cry but could still use all my limbs. I hope you find out whats wrong!

It is possible that this is a Vitamin C and D definceny.
Try giving him Vit C & D for a couple of weeks.

Hi T.,
My son has a very similar issue every morning..He is 6 yrs and gets up with pain everyday morning..His X-rays, blood test have come clean.. even took him to an orthopaedic and did an MRI. MRI showed miniscual fluid but ortho said that should not be of concern..recommended to goto rheumatologist but I am thinking is it going to help.
If you could let me know what caused your sons problem and what was the remedy it would help..
R.

Ask your son to try and remember to move his legs around in the bed before he rises. Ask him to remember to move them slowing and throughly before he moves them over the edge and tries to stand. Sometimes muscles will cramp from laying still so long and then when fast movement happens the lack of oxygen in the muscles causes severe cramps. It would be impossible to stand or walk while one of these legs cramps is hurting. Calcium helps.

It is hard to know since none of us are there to see the symptoms or know your son. But another possibility might involve the lymph glands located right behind the knees. It is possible to experinece pain from them if they are swollen. I have EBV (an auto-immune dysfuntion) and after having my tonsils removed in college, started experiencing pain in mine as they became the next dominant lymph glands to "catch" everything.

The one thing I would encourage is to get more than one or even two opinions. Even if it means travel. Your child is not pretending. Something is going on. Going to a chiropractor certainly won't hurt, and could help the body right itself. My lymph glands function better under regular chiro care. It's part of how I manage my auto-immune issues and live a mostly normal life. But information is so powerful and helpful. Seek another opinion.

Oh that hurts to hear of small children with these kinds of problems,
I'd like you to see this video;
Jon's Story: Click here to watch: http://www.mangosteeninfocenter.com

Inflammation is the start of our diseases,
Free Radicals are all around us, in the foods, the air, the water, out bodies have too many toxins,
we need something natural in our bodies. He is young, find out what the real problem is from other doctors, this is not normal.

Good luck,
Oly

My friend went through the same thing with her 7 year old son. You need to ask your doctor about Myositis. This is a virus that gets into your muscles.

T.,

this has just happened to my 4 year old son and I am very concerned. We did an X-ray Wednesday and nothing is wrong in his hip or his legs. We had blood drawn today and are awaiting those results to check for inflammation. He has the same symptoms. He puts all his pressure on his left leg and cries in the morning. He crawled to the restroom this morning without me knowing. I am so very concerned because this is way, way out of character and I know he is in pain. I will let you know what I find out. I know what you are going through. It is so hard to see your child in pain and not know what to do for them.

Blessings,

C.