After running around at soccer practice, your five-year-old son wakes up in the middle of the night complaining of leg pain. Did he injure himself at practice or is it a growing pain?
It could be either, according to K. Brooke Pengel, MD, FAAP, Medical Director of the Sports Medicine for Young Athletes Program at The Children’s Hospital.
“Growing pains generally occur in the muscles of fairly young children, particularly in the front of the thighs, in the calves or behind the knees,” Dr. Pengel said. “While children usually do not like to be touched in areas of injury, children with growing pains may feel better when the affected area is massaged. If the pain persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician or family physician.”
