Patient's question:
My son, 12 years old, with a height of 176 cm, always has knee pain, especially when sitting or standing for a long time, making it very painful. Climbing stairs is also difficult without bending his knees. Last year, he sometimes played basketball or jumped rope, but now his knees hurt, and he had to stop all sports. The pain still persists, lasting for about half a year. It's not intermittent or occasional; the pain is constant. The doctor suggested it might be growing pains, but the pain has lasted too long without improvement. An MRI was done, and the doctor found a small amount of fluid but no other issues. Please have an expert take a look.Doctor's answer:
Hello. Growing pain is a physiological response that occurs during the peak growth period of children. The peak occurrence of pain is around the age of 11. Active boys tend to develop it at an earlier age, sometimes as early as 3 or 4 years old. Growing pain most often occurs during nighttime sleep, with pain primarily localized in the knees and calves. The sensation of pain is usually aching, though some children with growing pain may experience more severe pain, accompanied by cramp-like discomfort in the calves.The exact cause of growing pain is not yet fully understood, but it is commonly believed to be related to excessive physical activity.
For the management of growing pain:
(1) Local massage with the hands twice a day for 15 minutes each time to alleviate symptoms;
(2) Calcium supplementation: through milk or calcium tablets.
However, your child's pain symptoms and the timing of the pain differ from typical growing pain, and there is also swelling. It is more likely caused by sports-related injuries, such as synovitis or chondromalacia. It is best to share the imaging results for further evaluation.
Treatment primarily involves rest, with the best approach being complete bed rest to avoid walking, which will help the condition heal.