If you’ve been told your child’s leg pain is “just growing pains” and it doesn’t need looking into, it’s worth getting a second opinion. In our clinical experience, what’s commonly labelled growing pains is generally linked to an identifiable biomechanical cause associated with growth spurts and it’s something that can actually be assessed and treated.

What Are “Growing Pains”?

The term “growing pains” is often used as a catch-all explanation for unexplained leg pain in children, on the assumption that it’s a normal and unavoidable part of growing up. If it were simply a normal part of growth, we’d expect to see it in every child, and that’s not the pattern we see clinically. More often, it reflects a biomechanical anomaly that happens to coincide with a growth spurt, rather than being caused by the growth spurt itself.

Common Symptoms

  • Aching or throbbing pain in the legs, often in the evening or overnight
  • Pain that seems to move between the shins, calves, thighs or behind the knees
  • No obvious injury or swelling associated with the pain
  • Pain that disrupts sleep or activity levels

What Causes Growing Pains?

Contributing biomechanical factors can include excess pronation, muscle imbalances, or postural anomalies that become more noticeable during a period of rapid growth, when bones, muscles and tendons aren’t always growing at matched rates.

Our Approach

A biomechanical assessment is used to help identify what’s actually contributing to your child’s leg pain, rather than defaulting to a label that doesn’t lead anywhere. From there, a treatment plan can be built around what’s found.

 

Treatment Options We Offer

  • Custom orthotics designed to help manage identified biomechanical anomalies
  • Foot mobilisation
  • Stretching and targeted exercises
  • Footwear guidance

Frequently Asked Questions

Are growing pains real?

The pain your child is experiencing is real. What isn’t real is the assumption that it’s an unavoidable, untreatable part of growing up. In our clinical view, it generally has an identifiable, treatable biomechanical cause.

Should I be worried?

Persistent leg pain in children is always worth having assessed rather than dismissed, particularly if it’s affecting sleep or activity. An assessment can help clarify what’s actually happening.

 

Book an Assessment

If your child is experiencing ongoing leg pain, book a biomechanical assessment at your nearest Dr Abbie Clinics location.

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