Patient's question:
Why do young children always complain of foot pain? What should be done? Six years oldDoctor's answer:
Hello, if there are no other symptoms, the foot pain in your child is likely growing pains, which is an issue that occurs during the growth and development process. The true cause or etiology is still unclear. Growing pains typically appear around the age of 4, as this age group can clearly articulate what part of their body hurts. After the age of 12, they gradually decrease, and by 18, growing pains are usually gone. The most common pain locations are the knees, calves, and the front of the thighs. Occasionally, it may occur in the groin area, and the pain is generally outside the joints. It is often bilateral, but can also be unilateral. The nature and duration of the pain are of great concern to doctors, as they need to distinguish between spasmodic pain caused by muscle fatigue and unbearable deep pain caused by bone tumors. Whether the pain is felt daily, for minutes or hours, can also reflect the severity of the issue. Additionally, doctors pay close attention to the location of the pain—whether it is localized to a specific area of the limb or migratory, whether it is accompanied by swelling, whether it affects walking, and whether the pain can be relieved with medication. All of this information can help doctors make an accurate diagnosis.If your child walks and plays naturally, running joyfully toward their parents, it suggests that they are generally in good health. However, if there is difficulty walking, limited leg or ankle movement, or crying due to pain, it may indicate infection, sprain, or a neurological condition.
During the examination, doctors start with symptom-free areas and leave the potentially painful areas for last. Measuring limb length is an important part of the examination, as differences in leg length can make doctors suspect hip joint infection or pelvic tilt caused by gluteal muscle contracture. Doctors may also request laboratory or imaging tests to determine the cause of the pain.
The diagnosis of growing pains is not difficult, but it is essential to rule out all possible related diseases before making this diagnosis. Many diseases in childhood can cause leg pain, such as inflammatory conditions like Brodie abscess, juvenile monoarticular rheumatoid arthritis, and other forms of arthritis. Tumors in the limbs should also be considered, including local or distant tumors, such as a bone osteoid osteoma in the upper femur, which can be difficult to diagnose without auxiliary tests. Early symptoms of spinal tumors may also present as leg pain. Traumatic factors must also be taken into account—obvious fractures are easy to diagnose, but stress fractures are often missed. Special joint diseases should not be taken lightly, such as joint synovitis, Perthes disease, and slipped capital femoral epiphysis, all of which can cause pain in the inner thigh or limping.
In summary, many diseases have early symptoms similar to growing pains. The key is not to simply attribute all leg pain to growth and development. Parents should take time to bring their children to the hospital for a proper examination to ensure effective treatment. For children with ongoing issues, regular follow-up visits to the hospital should be scheduled to provide for repeated examinations and further history collection.
One of the most common mistakes parents make is assuming it is growing pains and overlooking serious underlying conditions.