child leg pain

[NoWaNrN, ASN, RN]

my son who is 4 has had a lot of leg pain off and on since he was about 2. i have tried to observe when it goes on, like how much activity he has done during the day, is he going through a growth spurt just any thing i can think of. i took him to the doctor and she said his bone structure and gait are fine, she didn't say it could be "growing pains" but didn't want to send him to an ortho specialist yet, if the pain continued she would. well after the appointment the pain stopped. i remember my legs hurting so badly i would cry when i had "growing pains". do you guys think this is "normal" for a young child to have pain like this? it isn't every day, sometimes its a couple times then nothing for a couple months? any one else have kids with this? i just worry so much. my sister in law who is also a nurse is unsettled by it. i noticed when he rides his bike alot then he c/o pain and i put a heat pack on him, but a kid shouldn't have pain from just playing. and i also notice when he starts sleeping more (growing) then he has more c/o. he is healthy developmentally and physically right where he should be, no major illness or any thing more the ear infections. thanks so much.

[PurrRN]

I can remember vividly of crying as a little girl because my bones hurt so much. My mom always told me it was growing pains and guess we believed it because it just made sense. My boys are 7,7, and 5 and just like you we go through periods where every night one or the other boy is waking up with leg cramps, leg pain in bones and lately pain in their arms. It hurts me to see THEM hurt so much, but I figure its just growing pains. I break out the heating pad which seems to help and sometimes dose with Motrin to help alleviate some of the immediate pain.

Occasionally one of my twins will wake up out of a deep sleep, crying and screaming because it hurts so much. But the next morning are fine with no complaints. Now that I think of it, it's a little funny that the pains usually show up during the night and not the day, but perhaps its because their brains have slowed down at that point.

I don't know, I don't have any answers but I wanted to let you know that NO you are not alone and others are dealing with the same parenting concerns and issues.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I am so sorry that your son is suffering so. However, per our terms of service, we can't provide medical advice. The only advice I can give is to seek a second opinion. Take care.