Growing Pains

• Common presentation to GP- child complaining of pain in the legs (often shins) without an obvious cause
  • Other features are often
    • never present at the start of the day after the child has woken
    • no limp
    • no limitation of physical activity
    • systemically well
    • normal physical examination
    • motor milestones normal
    • symptoms are often intermittent and worse after a day of vigorous activity
• These aren’t actually growing pains but benign idiopathic pains (Benign Idiopathic Nocturnal Limb Pains of Childhood)
• Often mild enough to not require treatment; paracetamol may help to ease the child (if not reduce the symptoms)

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