Has your child disturbed your sleep in the middle of the night complaining of leg pains? Do you remember having them yourself as a child? These leg pains are commonly referred to as “growing pains,” defined as reoccurring limb pain that will affect 25% to 40% of children ages 2–12 years. Growing pains is a common disorder resulting from stress to the nervous system. The child may feel leg pain, which can range from an achy, throbbing feeling to a sharp pain. Many children also have complaints of spinal pain in addition to leg pain.

There are no known medical causes, only theories. According to one medical study as far back as 1984, limb pain was the common complaint in seven percent of visits to a pediatrician. These leg pains are usually brushed off as normal occurrences attributed to daily physical activity. Parents are told this is normal during the growth process and it will pass. Massaging the legs and the use of analgesics are the only suggestions for treatment. This offers no comfort to the parents or child. Are there other options available to alleviate these leg pains? Yes! Ask your family chiropractor for help!

What causes “growing pains”?

Chiropractors look at the biomechanical issues and consider the growth process time line. The first five years of a child’s life is the time of greatest spinal growth. During the first year of life, the spine increases 12 cm in length. Between one and five years, the spine increases another 15 cm. Between the ages of five and ten, the growth rate decreases to 10 cm. Between 10 and 18 years of age, there is another increase with 20 cm of spinal grown in males and 15 cm in females.

If something interferes with this growth process and alters the child’s biomechanics, there may be problems, such as postural abnormalities, disruption of proper locomotion skills, and also injury to the child. Other interferences of the growth process may include birth trauma, a fall, sports injuries, and overly sedentary lifestyles. Back packs, slouching, and sitting too long are other common causes of stress overload in the older child.

How Does Chiropractic Care Help?

Stress overload, such as physical, emotional, or chemical stress, affects nerve system function. Causes of stress overload in the child originate from physical traumas such as the birth process, postural compensations (i.e. sedentary postures and backpack carrying compensations), and common childhood injuries. Your family chiropractor will perform a thorough exam of the child’s spine to locate areas of misalignment contributing to this nerve system stress. The specific chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function and the child’s whole body benefits.

Along with chiropractic care, dietary supplements may be recommended; specifically a multiple vitamin and calcium/magnesium. Keeping your child hydrated is also important to avoid muscle cramping and to maintain electrolyte balance.

A word to the wise: Be aware of the sources of physical stress to your children’s spine. Chiropractors look at the body as a whole and not as separate parts--if there is stress in one area of the body, the rest of the body will somehow compensate for this stress. When stress is removed from the spine and nervous system, it allows the body to function at its best.

A family chiropractor can help make your child’s life more enjoyable. Contact our family chiropractors at McKim Chiropractic for more information about “growing pains” and to schedule a consultation. Our licensed and certified staff is happy to help the children of Nampa, ID enjoy their life pain-free!