Growing pain is a term used to describe a non-inflammatory musculoskeletal pain syndrome experienced by children most commonly between the age of 3 and 12 years old.

The pain is most commonly found in the child’s limbs. Some of the most prevalent locations for growing pains include the front of the shin, behind the knee, and in the calf.

Causes of Pain

Although this is a fairly common complaint in children, affecting between 3%-37% of them at some point in their life, the cause of growing pains has not been identified. However, there are a few theories as to its cause including lower pain tolerance and overuse of the painful muscles.

Fortunately, growing pains have been shown to stop by adolescence in most individuals.

How Physiotherapy Can Help

Physiotherapy can help relieve pain associated with this syndrome by increasing physical activity, reducing muscle overuse, and decreasing pain sensitivity.

At physiotherapy, strategies to incorporate more physical activity into the child’s daily routine can be established, while showing pain-free ways to do physical activity. In a structured setting like physiotherapy, progressing exercises from simple to more complex can also be beneficial for kids with growing pains as it allows them to progressively work the body harder which is beneficial for children who are sensitive to movement due to the prevalence of pain.