Growing Pains

This past week Lewis has been experiencing bad growing pains in his legs.  As you know Growing pains is a normal occurrence, but it is not nice to see him in pain and all I wanted to do was take the pain away for him, but I am helpless as there is no cure, so all I could do was to try and alleviate the pain, and make him comfortable.

Summer giving her poorly Lewis cuddles

He had the cramps in his legs (thighs), and they hurt him so much they awoke him from his sleep, he also kept complaining of pain behind his knees. He felt very sluggish and was not his normal bubbly self, he just wanted to lie around and keep still to minimise the pain, and Lewis lying around is so unlike him.

Below is what we did to help make Lewis comfortable:

• Hot water bottle on his thigh.
• Rub/messaged his legs.
• Got him to walk around, to stretch the legs.
• We gave him ibuprofen to help with the pain.

After a lot of rest he is back to normal, however I am making sure he takes it easy - with a 10 year old that is easier said than done. 

Some information:

It normally occurs between the ages of 3 and 5 or 8 and 12. 

Children get growing pains in their legs, and mostly the pain is in the front of the thighs, and in the calves, and/or behind the knees. Usually, both legs hurt.

Growing pains effects the muscles, and it is the muscles that hurt, not the bones. Some doctors believe that children may get growing pains because they have tired out their muscles. When children run, climb, or jump a lot during the day, you might have aches and pains in your legs at night.

It is said that growing pains often start to ache right before bedtime, and it might wake the child up in the middle of the night with the pain. It is meant to disappear by morning.