As children grow, they can develop various growing pains, particularly in the thighs and calves. This is because their muscles cannot keep up with the rate of bone growth. It can also be related to the amount and type of physical activity the child is involved in.

Some children tend to do a lot of different sports, which is generally a good thing but has to be managed properly to avoid overtraining. Growing pains can occur throughout the year, but they are typically seen at the start of a year once children return to sport after their summer holidays.

The condition is generally easy to treat if addressed early, but If left untreated, it can become more complicated and develop into muscle tears, tendon issues and even conditions such as Severs Disease and Osgood-Schlatter Disease. This results in prolonged time away from physical activity, which leads to multiple physical and psychological issues.

Physiotherapy is an effective treatment strategy, and our team are trained to identify the cause of the child’s growing pains, which helps us work out how to stop them from returning once they have been treated. Treatment techniques such as massage, heat/ice packs, stretching and strapping tape are often helpful in reducing pain.

Exercises are aimed at both reducing the child’s pain in the short term and helping to prepare their muscles for the rigours of their specific physical activity. Our aim is for each child to be able to return to their preferred physical activity, and in most cases, there is no reason why they cannot do this if treated early.