What are growing pains?
So what do you do when your child frequently complains of sore legs or ankles or knees? Is it normal? Is it growing pains?
Yes, it’s true that as children grow, the growth plates in the bones allow the bones to grow bigger and then the muscles also have to grow larger and stronger. But this is not the cause of recurrent foot and leg pain in children.
Children can develop strain on their joints and fatigue of their leg muscles when the alignment of the foot is not quite right. Sometimes this is an inherited trait, like flat feet or in-toeing (pigeon-toed).
What is important is that we can help. It is not normal for kids to be complaining of pain in their feet and legs as they go to bed, and during or after active play.
Our podiatrists, Liz and Pia are able to easily assess if there is an imbalance or problem with the way your child’s feet function. By checking the amount of movement in their joints; the tightness of their muscles and watching the way your child walks, we can tell you if anything is wrong and create a plan of action to improve function and eliminate pain.
This may be simply a series of specific stretches or footwear changes or even simple inserts for their shoes. We have many tricks up our sleeve to get children active and pain free again!