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Feet Hurting In A Child. Done Blood Test And Peripheral Smear Test. Can This Be Pain Due To Growth?

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Posted on Mon, 2 Jul 2012
Question: MY 3 YEAR OLD HAS HAD SEVEAL EPISODES OF HER FEET HURTING ONE OR THE OTHER NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. THIS ONLY HAPPENS DURING THE NIGHT AND LAST FOR A FEW MINUTES. I HAD TOOK HER TO THE DOCTOR AND AN ORTHROPEDIC DOCTOR. THE FIRST TIME WE DID BLOOD WORK AND IT CLOTTED SO WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AND DID ANOTHER ONE AND A PERIPHERAL SMEAR. IT CAME BACK OK. HAD ANOTHER CBC 2 WEEKS AFTER FIRST AND THEN HAD ANOTHER 3 WEEKS AGO AND IT CAME BACK FINE. BUT LAST NIGHT SHE COMPLAINED AGAIN ABOUT HER FOOT HURTING. HER PEDIATRICIAN SAID IT WAS GROWING PAINS. IS THERE REALLY SUCH A THING?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (3 hours later)
Hello ,
Thanks for posting your query.
Yes,Your child is probably experiencing growing pains, a normal occurrence in about 25% to 30% of children. They generally occur during two periods: in early childhood among 3- to 5-year-olds and, later, in 8- to 12-year-olds.
Although growing pains often strike in late afternoon or evening before bed, pain can sometimes wake a sleeping child. The intensity of the pain varies from child to child.
The cause for growing pains is unclear. The pain may be due to:
Muscular tiredness – more physical activity than usual can be linked to more aching muscles for some children and causing undue stress on the growing bone.
Poor posture – standing, sitting or walking awkwardly puts greater than usual strain on the supporting muscles of the body. Sometimes children whose feet roll in (with very flat feet) may have more trouble with pains than other children.

Even though the child can be in a lot of pain, no damage is happening to the child's bones or muscles and growing pains can respond to simple treatments.
Some things that may help alleviate the pain include:
massaging the area
stretching
placing a heating pad on the area
Medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen as per prescription if pain is severe.
Thus a children with growing pains respond differently from children with serious illness or joint pains— they feel better when they're held, massaged, and cuddled.In other pathologies the pain
gets worse on handling.
So though there is no evidence or confirmatory test to diagnose it this pain is diagnosed by doctors after excluding the other serious causes like in your daughter.
As a concerned parent , I understand your anxiety and fears , however the situation doesn't seem worrisome at present and your doctor seems to have appropriately ruled out infection, inflammation, injury, malignancy etc to come to the diagnosis of growing pains.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards



Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Hema Yadav (19 hours later)
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. HOW DO YOU CHECK FOR SWOLLEN LYMPH NODES? LIKE WHEN YOU CHECK UNDER YOUR ARM.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (3 hours later)
Hello ,
Thanks for the follow up .
The armpit or axilla has numerous lymph nodes grouped as
1.The anterior group in the anterior (front) fold of skin of armpit.(axillary fold)
2.The posterior in the posterior axillary fold.
3.The lateral group felt on inside (medial) part of upper arm.
4.The central and apical (deepest) in the axilla or centre of armpit.
Normally these lymph nodes are not palpable or minimally palpable.
But in infection or malignancy they may be swollen and painful on touch (tender) and can be felt like pebbles or buttons to the tips of the examiners fingers.
Generally to do this, ask the patient to lift both arms away from the sides of their body. Then extend the fingers of both your hands and gently direct them towards the apices of the arm pits. Now press your hands towards the patient's body and move them slowly down the lateral chest wall. This allows your fingers to feel them on XXXXXXX pressure and preferably using circular motion.
To look for individual group the same way palpation should be carried out in the exact location
mentioned.
Note that these lymph nodes are not usually visible to naked eyes unless there is gross swelling, redness and inflammation.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Hema Yadav

Pediatrician, Infectious Diseases

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 1528 Questions

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Feet Hurting In A Child. Done Blood Test And Peripheral Smear Test. Can This Be Pain Due To Growth?

Hello ,
Thanks for posting your query.
Yes,Your child is probably experiencing growing pains, a normal occurrence in about 25% to 30% of children. They generally occur during two periods: in early childhood among 3- to 5-year-olds and, later, in 8- to 12-year-olds.
Although growing pains often strike in late afternoon or evening before bed, pain can sometimes wake a sleeping child. The intensity of the pain varies from child to child.
The cause for growing pains is unclear. The pain may be due to:
Muscular tiredness – more physical activity than usual can be linked to more aching muscles for some children and causing undue stress on the growing bone.
Poor posture – standing, sitting or walking awkwardly puts greater than usual strain on the supporting muscles of the body. Sometimes children whose feet roll in (with very flat feet) may have more trouble with pains than other children.

Even though the child can be in a lot of pain, no damage is happening to the child's bones or muscles and growing pains can respond to simple treatments.
Some things that may help alleviate the pain include:
massaging the area
stretching
placing a heating pad on the area
Medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen as per prescription if pain is severe.
Thus a children with growing pains respond differently from children with serious illness or joint pains— they feel better when they're held, massaged, and cuddled.In other pathologies the pain
gets worse on handling.
So though there is no evidence or confirmatory test to diagnose it this pain is diagnosed by doctors after excluding the other serious causes like in your daughter.
As a concerned parent , I understand your anxiety and fears , however the situation doesn't seem worrisome at present and your doctor seems to have appropriately ruled out infection, inflammation, injury, malignancy etc to come to the diagnosis of growing pains.
Hope I have answered your query.
Regards