smcopywrite from all over the web on October 24, 2014: great article. On average she did around 8-10 hours of varied physical activity a week.) Malignant tumors tend to be more symptomatic. If your child has stopped walking, or is experiencing any concerning symptoms, visit your pediatrician or local emergency room. These range from overuse syndromes, to fractures and other injuries, to more worrisome problems like tumors and infections. He had surgery on the one foot where they implanted a small screw to keep the foot from swaying and ordered orthodics. Foot or calf muscles are especially prone to cramps that occur during sports. Boys, as most parents know (and despite the political attempts at uni-sexing children), are a lot more likely to inflict injury on themselves due to … By clicking “Accept All Cookies,” you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage and assist in marketing efforts. Benign tumors include such things as fibrous dysplasia, simple bone cysts, osteoid osteomas, and non-ossifying fibromas or fibrous cortical defects. Here is some care advice that should help. On radiographs, the femoral head looks more dense and may eventually collapse (flatten). However, in rare cases, leg pain in children may be a symptom of a serious condition. He plays several sports and it has started to affect him during play. Despite me explaining this, they then sent us a letter stating that our case had been closed due to not showing up! Several hours later and X-rays show no breaks, and no other issues with hip or leg. Thanks! She plays soccer, dances and runs long distance. Muscle cramps in the feet or calf muscles occur in a third of children. Foot or leg cramps may also awaken your child from sleep. This was the most informative (and not scary) article I've found while searching for leg pains for my 5yo. Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. I checked her leg out and I could not straighten her leg it seemed like it was restricted at the knee. Leg pain on one side, without known injury, usually means that a child (usually a boy) needs to see his Pediatrician for a thorough exam. It was only at night but it was so bad she would wake up screaming. The treatment varies, depending on the amount of femoral head involvement, and can range from simple observation to physical therapy to casts and surgery. The area is around her hip, and traveling down until about an 1 1/2” above her knee, and what is so alarming is she’s barely able to walk and put pressure on the leg, or lift it to even allow me to elevate it for her. Spinal stenosis – Referred back pain from spinal stenosis can cause pain in the thighs and calves. Bone Infections. There is no substitute for expert care. Abnormalities may be present in the entire leg or in certain parts of the leg, such as the knee or ankle. Nondiscrimination and Interpreters Notice, Includes hip, knee, ankle, foot and toe joints, Includes minor muscle strain from overuse, You think your child has a life-threatening emergency, Calf pain on 1 side lasts more than 12 hours, Numbness (loss of feeling) lasts more than 1 hour, Severe pain or cries when leg is touched or moved, You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent, You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent, Leg pains or muscle cramps are a frequent problem, Strained muscles caused by overuse (exercise or work), Cause is clear and harmless. Today, he still won't walk and barely puts weight on it. what is the cause may be? Walking is not normal (has a limp) Fever and pain in both legs; Bright red area on skin; You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent; Contact Doctor During Office Hours. This may cause swelling, fracture of the bone, and severe pain. Since JIA can also result in inflammation of the iris and loss of sight, these children will usually be evaluated by a pediatric ophthalmologist. Often when a child complains of pain in his legs and refuses to walk, this is due to an injury that is unknown to his parents, or an infection causing inflammation (swelling) in the joints (synovitis) or muscles (myositis). The muscle pain lasts a few days to a week. My 6 year old son complains of leg pains everytime night and day it doesn't matter whether he's walking, sitting or running. Even more serious are cases when … The pain usually occurs in the late afternoon or evenings. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. The injury can be a mild strain that only causes pain when your child uses his leg, or it could be a partial or complete tear. It typically affects children between the ages of 3 and 10 years, and it is almost always in both legs. So after massaging the area, administrating pain reliever, elevation, and applying heat/ice pack, and she’s still not able to get up or move around in any way close to normal in the last 12 hours, and with a pandemic overtaking every doctors office/hospital, I was hoping someone could shed some light on how best to proceed?!? the place of pain is not fixed . When it occurs in the knee joint, the knee will be bent about 20 degrees and will be swollen. She could not walk on her left leg. It never interferes with play and other activities, tends to occur towards the end of the day and in the evenings, improves with leg massages, and resolves in early adolescence. 18 December, 2018. They want to send us to the Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, 4 hour drive for us, so they can try to figure out what is wrong. Boys around five years old who start to walk in an odd manner and begin complaining of discomfort in the upper leg; but girls get it too. And when I pick her up to carry her she’s holding it out to the side, instead of trying to wrap her leg around my waist like she usually does. My child's leg pain was Leukemia (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), my son after getting up from the bed complaints of leg pain may i know the reason. Muscle cramps usually last 5 to 30 minutes. Samuel Milanovich, MD* 1. He had an illness when he was 6 yrs old that the doctors really were unable to diagnose. My child is 4 years old and she can't walk alone but she can walk with chair in the house please advise. He has no other symptoms and his physical activity is the same. My 7 year old has been saying both legs are hurting from his ankles up to his thighs for about a week now and hurts when he tries to walk..any ideas what it could be? We went to Ortho, Rhuem. Hardly any pain anymore and if he does its because he is running around bare foot. (We were not very happy with that because not only does she have a visible arch, but at the time she went swimming 2 times a week, attended 2 sports based after school clubs, walked to and from school everyday and visited the park or woods with bikes or scooters at least 2 times a week. BoneMD1 (author) from Los Angeles on October 30, 2014: Please see my note under "What is the most common cause of leg pains." she is not a child that weeps in pain but those nights she did. Copyright 2000-2020. It was so bad that it was causing shin splits and extreme pain. Serious cases of peripheral artery disease can cause leg pain even when the person isn't walking. what is the cause may be? We are extremely worried and the Drs are not concerned at all. They may also require evaluation by a specialist. They might start to limp. she is 6 and has been having this problem for months, almost every night. Muscle pain in the leg muscles is seen with some viral infections, such as influenza. Waiting on the other foot for surgery which is soon. if this is not happening leg pain exists. Finally I took him to a podiatrist and she he had flat feet. usually in the lower portion of the legs, in the front. Muscle tightness – In elderly patients hamstring tightness is an often neglected cause of leg pain. Some time he feels the pain some time one leg lower and some time both the legs lower. My daughter has had what she describes as lighting pains in her left knee for the past 3/4 years they come and go she can go months with no pain at all but others it's 15+ bolts of pain in a day one case was where her knee was stuck bent for over a week (unable to straighten or bend more) she is now 10years old and waiting on yet another hospital appointment. This is a vascular abnormality involving the blood supply to the femoral head. ect. My 6 year old is complaining of pain in his right leg but it only hurts him when he walks....can it be growing pains or something more serious?? We were then told that she didn't have hypermobility because she only met 7/9 criteria (despite the expected eligibility being 5/9). Swelling of the joint greater than six weeks with no underlying cause has a high likelihood of being JIA. Muscle spasms (cramps) and strained muscles (overuse) account for most leg pain. Pain in the leg can arise from multiple causes, ranging from mild, temporary conditions to serious medical disorders. Perthes disease Perthes disease pleads that you as a parent should never ignore groin and upper thigh pain in your growing child. When she was 5/6 her class teacher pulled me to the side one day to tell me that she was very concerned about my daughter because she frequently complained of pain in her legs and had to rest frequently. I expressed my concern but the Dr wouldn't budge and insisted that we continue with normal excercise and deliberate excessive use of stairs; which we did. This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Her condition has continued to worsen so 2 years ago we returned again. The pediatrician can assess the child for signs of injury or infection. There are some red flags to watch out for though. Leg pain in children often prompts a visit to the doctor 3. I was hoping you might have a medical opinion as to how I should proceed, and any advice would be most appreciated. I explained that the pain was still getting more frequent and that her ankles were now leaning inwards so much that they are almost touching the floor. Leg pain. But it may cause your child … As a parent or caregiver, you need to know when to be concerned about a child’s leg pain. 1. Moderate: The pain keeps your child from doing some normal activities. About one child in 30 will experience swelling of the entire leg in which the shot was administered following the fourth or fifth dose, according to the CDC. I felt like no one listened. They often affect the child's activity level. Muscle Cramps. my granddaughter has severe leg cramps every night she wakes up crying. Bruises and sprains are treated with ice, elevation, and anti-inflammatory medications. Learn more about visitor restrictions and vaccine availability. She also complains of tingling in her feet and feeling like her bone is dislocated at the hip. Walking abnormalities can affect the muscles, bones, or nerves of the legs. He woke up one day and was unable to walk because he was in so much pain in hips and knees. "Growing Pains" is an overuse problem, not related to growth. If you see any of the following, though, you should have your child immediately evaluated and call your pediatrician right away. Any ideas?? Some time he feels the pain some time one leg lower and some time both the legs lower. They did rule out arthritis because the pain when he was 6 came on suddenly. (Examples are tight new shoes or a recent shot). Infections of bones and joints are most common in younger children. We were then supposed to have a follow up after a year but my daughter also suffers from chronic asthma and was in A&E at the time of her appointment getting oxygen and a nebuliser. I have since taken her back to the GP and demanded further tests because she is still getting worse. Find out by selecting your child's symptom or health condition in the list below: Seattle Children’s complies with applicable federal and other civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. This can present with pain in the knees or ankles. She has had X-rays mri scans physiotherapy and see a consultant yet nothing is showing they keep saying all is normal, but seeing my baby in pain and crying when it strikes is heart breaking. She gets pain when walking up the steps, any squatting position, and any physical activity. it moves place to place. Even our family gp seams to be fed up of hearing about it when I call and say her knee is playing up its as if he's not interested and it's all in her head. it is around her knee to her shin... we will massage and spray a … Tumors can be benign (won't spread to other areas and won't cause loss of life) or malignant (they often spread and usually are life-threatening). There are a number of causes of leg pain in children. If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911. the place of pain is not fixed . But, the pain does not keep your child from any normal activities. Weekend warriors who are out of shape get the most muscle pains. I am a children's orthopedic physician. I don’t want to take her to a doctors office unless absolutely necessary, but I also don’t want to wait if time is of the essence either. Hurts worse when running and jumping. it moves place to place. My daughter has always, thank goodness, been a healthy, happy child...and she is not one to complain unless there is something really bothering her because she does not like to miss out on anything. The Rheumy actually told me it was behavioral. Osgood-Schlatter's disease is also an overuse syndrome. Left untreated, leg pain in children due to abscesses or serious infections may lead to widespread infection in the body. I am interested in children's health issues as well as healthcare in the developing world. In the rest of this article, you'll learn about some common causes of leg pain in kids as well as the red flags that indicate your child might need further evaluation by a specialist. Severe infection. my daughter had just turned 5 a few weeks ago and I had forgotten to measure her, so before bed we measured her height... that night she woke up with severe leg pain so the next day I remeasuered her and sure enough she had grown almost a whole inch over night -- growing pain is real guys! She has grown about 3 inches in 6 months. No treatment is needed. He may have other issues but this at least solved some of them. the place of pain is not fixed . Advil relieves his pain. It seems a LITTLE better but Dr. Google is freaking me out with the possibilities. Cause of leg pain is not clear; Leg pain lasts more than 7 days; Leg pains or muscle cramps are a frequent … The condition is benign and most often is treated with stretching and anti-inflammatory medications. Pain Scale. my child's leg pain was a result of "growing" . It usually resolves within 7-10 days. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC. It occurs between the ages of 3 and 12 years and can occur bilaterally. If an abscess is present in the bone, surgery may be required. When infection occurs in the hip joint, the child often will refuse to walk and will hold the hip flexed and abducted (out to the side). The doctor agreed with my Google diagnosis (lol) and an x-ray showed nothing else wrong. My teen daughter has knee pain right above the knee cap. A little TLC gets them back to sleep.You chalk it up to growing pains and get back in bed yourself.. Any ideas as to what this could be? You have to push and go around the Ped if needed. After several days in the hospital the pain went away. Your child wakes up in the middle of the night in pain, with a tight grip on their leg. When we returned to the ortho we were given the same diagnosis but told she could have hypermobility as well. Presents with a painless limp, Blood supply problems to the top of the femur, Child limps and complains of some discomfort, Pain in knees or ankles, multiple joints or just one affected, When in the hip, child will refuse to walk and hold leg out to the side; when in the knee, it will be swollen and bent at 20 degrees; rarely occurs on both sides, Bacterial infection — this is a medical emergency, Child may limp or have a fever, but will not refuse to walk; rarely occurs on both sides, The child's activity level is affected, child may wake up with pain in the middle of the night; rarely occurs on both sides. I am at a loss and need to figure out why my kiddo all of a sudden can’t walk and screams in pain and then 45 minutes later is perfectly fine. He says most pain is in his knees and now he has a clicky knee. See below for more details and information on treatment, Injuries (Bruises, Sprains, or Fractures) — Most Common Cause of Acute Pain, Varies depending on injury, but usually short-lived and easily treated, "Growing Pains" — Most Common Cause of Chronic Pain, Chronic, almost always in both legs, doesn't interfere with play, is usually worse in the evenings, Swelling just below the knee; can be one or both knees, Overuse syndrome caused by jumping, running, or kneeling, Rarely occurs in both legs at once.