Growing pains
Objectives- Describe "growing pains"
- Define the age range susceptible to growing pains
- Describe natural history and treatment measures effective for growing pains
Discussion points
- Does the entity described as "growing pains" differ from article to article?
- What is your concept of the optimum approach to diagnosis? Management?
Discussion
Although "growing pains" have been in common parlance for generations, their pathophysiology is still not understood, and there is not yet a precise definition of the disorder. Growing pains are generally described as being in younger children, and occur late in the day or at night. One study (Bowyer) noted 7% of pediatrician's visits were for limb pain, another (Macarthur) stated that 1% of visits to university based pediatricians, and all pediatric orthopaedists and rheumatologists in Ontario were for growing pains. Baxter describes stretching as being effective in lessening the frequency of growing pains. Other studies questioned the relationship between growing pains and the restless leg syndrome of adults. Growing pains are a diagnosis of exclusion, and resolve spontaneously sometime during childhood. (Atar) Peterson stresses the importance of eliminating other causes of pain before applying a diagnosis of growing pains.
References
- Atar D, Lehman WB, Grant AD. Growing pains. Orthop Rev 1991; 20: 926-7
- Baxter MP, Dulberg C. 'Growing pains" in childhood -a proposal for treatment. J Pediatr Orthop 1988; 8: 402-6
- Browyer SL, Hollister JR. Limb pain in childhood. Pediatr Clin NA 1984; 31( 5): 1053-81
- Macarthur C, Wright, Srivastava R, RosserW, Feldman W. Variability in physicians'reported ordering and perceived reassurance value of diagnostic tests in children with growing pains. Arch Ped Adol Med 1996; 150: 1072-6
- Peterson H. Growing pains. Pediatr Clin NA 1986; 33( 6): 1365-72
- Walters AS, Picchietti DL, Ehrenberg BL, Wagner ML. Restless legs syndrome in childhood and adolescence. Pediartric Neurology 1994; 11: 241-5
May 16-19, 2012 in Denver, CO
