Key takeaways:
Growing pains are a common cause of musculoskeletal pain in young children.
Children with growing pains typically complain of pain in both lower legs, at the end of the day or overnight.
It’s not clear what causes growing pains, but they’re not harmful and do not cause any long-term problems. Kids with growing pains will get better on their own without treatment.
When kids wake up at night or can’t fall asleep because of pain, it’s natural to worry. It can be hard to figure out if that pain is due to a minor bump or bruise from play, or a sign of something more serious.
Growing pains are one very common reason your child may complain of pain during the night. In fact, as many as 1 in 3 children will experience episodes of growing pains at some point during their childhood or adolescence.
Growing pains are not dangerous, and they will improve without specific treatment. But they can impact your family and cause your child to feel distressed and lose sleep. Let’s go through what science says about growing pains, and learn how to help your child manage pain at home.
The symptoms of growing pains are very distinct. Children often complain of a general aching sense in their lower legs. Growing pains occur in the late afternoon or during the night. But your child will usually wake up pain-free in the morning.
Growing pains can last for only a few minutes. But in some children, they can take a few hours to go away. Episodes of growing pains may not happen every day either. While some kids may have a few days of pain in a row, most will have only an occasional night where they complain of discomfort.
The most common areas where your child will experience growing pains are:
Legs
Shins
Calves
Behind the knees
Most of the time, the growing pains will be symmetrical. This means your child will feel pain in the same place on both legs, at the same time. When your child is not having these growing pains, they will be able to carry on with their day, participating in their usual play and other activities.
Growing pains are most common in children between the ages of 3 and 14 years old. However, older teenagers can experience growing pains too.
Adults do not get growing pains. If you are older than 18, and you have pain in your joints or bones, talk to your primary care provider. Your symptoms could be a sign of a more serious medical condition.
Scientists don’t fully understand what causes growing pains. Healthcare professionals used to believe that the pain was a result of the rapid growth of muscles, ligaments, and bones. This would explain why the condition only happens in children and why it’s more common in ages that are associated with growth spurts.
But, more recent research suggests that growing pains may not be caused by growing at all. Children can experience growing pains outside of growth spurts too.
Scientists are currently studying the relationships between physical activity, joint health, and pain. But the relationship is not clear. Children don’t always complain of growing pains more often if they’ve been more active during the day. There is no clear evidence that children with more mobile joints have more growing pains either. And those with decreased bone strength are not more likely to develop growing pains.
The cause of growing pains remains unclear. Instead, your child's pediatrician will make sure the pain is not from another cause.
There are no tests to diagnose growing pains. Your child’s pediatrician can diagnose growing pains based on the pattern and location of your child’s pain episodes.
Sometimes your child's pediatrician will need more information to get the right diagnosis. This may happen when a child's pain symptoms don't match up exactly with growing pains, or if they notice something unusual on the physical exam. Blood tests and imaging studies, like X-rays, can help them make the right diagnosis.
Growing pains will eventually get better on their own, without treatment. But there are some supportive measures to try at home. Try the following tips to help soothe pain.
Massage therapy can ease growing pains, and you don’t need to be a trained massage therapist. Gently rub and massage your child’s painful leg muscles, to ease discomfort.
Over-the-counter pain relievers, including children’s acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), can ease growing pains. Give a dose to your child when they complain of pain. But, children with certain medical conditions may need to avoid acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Ask your child’s pediatrician about which option is best for them. And ask them about the best dosage for your child’s age and weight.
Sometimes gentle stretching exercises can help ease growing pains. You can have your child perform certain stretches themselves while you model them. Or you can gently stretch their muscles for them. Focus on gentle stretches for their quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles.
A warm bath can help soothe muscles and lessen, or ease, growing pains. Encourage your child to play or relax in a bath for at least 10 minutes, right before bedtime. You can also add Epsom salts to the bath, which may help further soothe muscles. Just make sure the bath water isn’t too hot, as this can lead to burns.
Heat packs are another convenient and quick way to help ease growing pains. When your child experiences pain, you can place a heat pack over the painful area. Be sure to have a few layers of clothes or towels in between your child’s skin and the heat pack, to prevent skin burns.
While there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of these treatments, they are widely used to treat growing pains, and recommended by health experts. If one treatment option doesn’t work for your child, you can try another. But if none of them help, get in touch with your child’s pediatrician for more support.
The at-home treatments above work great for growing pains. But it's important to be sure that the pain your child is experiencing is from growing pains. If you aren't sure, talk with your child's pediatrician.
There are some more symptoms to be aware of. The following could mean your child’s pain is from a more serious medical condition:
Pain that only happens in one leg
Pain that isn’t gone by the morning
Pain that stops your child from doing their usual activities
Pain that started after an injury
Pain that seems to get worse, or doesn’t go away after a few days
Pain that comes and goes throughout the day, not just at night
Limp or change in the way your child walks or runs
Refusal to walk, stand, or run
Joint pain, redness, or swelling
Bruising
Fever
Loss of appetite or low energy
If your child has pain in both legs that lasts only a few hours, doesn’t get in the way of their usual activities, and is gone by the morning, they are likely experiencing growing pains. While the underlying cause is still unclear, growing pains do not cause any long-term problems. At-home comfort measures are typically effective at managing discomfort. Talk to a healthcare professional if you’re not sure whether your child’s pain is from growing pains, or something more serious.
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2015). Growing pains are normal most of the time.
American College of Rheumatology. (2023). Growing pains.
Junnila, J. L., et al. (2006). Chronic musculoskeletal pain in children: Part I. Initial evaluation. American Family Physician.
Lehman, P. J., et al. (2017). Growing pains: When to be concerned. Sports Health.
National Health Service. (2022). Growing pains.
Pavone, V., et al. (2019). Growing pains: What do we know about etiology? A systematic review. World Journal of Orthopedics.
Uziel, Y., et al. (2007). Growing pains in children. Pediatric Rheumatology.