Growing Pains in Children: What Parents Need to Know
A guide for parents of active kids and young athletes
I t's a familiar scene for many parents: a child who was running around happily all afternoon wakes up at night complaining that their legs ache. If this sounds familiar, your child may be experiencing what's commonly known as "growing pains." Despite the name, these aches aren't actually caused by growth — but they're very real, and understanding them can help you support your child with confidence.
What Are Growing Pains?
Growing pains are recurring episodes of aching or throbbing, usually felt in the front of the thighs, the calves, the shins, or behind the knees. They typically affect both legs at once, and tend to strike late in the afternoon, in the evening, or overnight — sometimes waking a child from sleep. By morning, the discomfort has usually settled completely.
They're most common in children between the ages of 3 and 12, though some kids experience them into their early teens. Some children also report tummy aches or headaches alongside the leg pain during a flare-up. Episodes tend to come and go, with symptom-free stretches lasting days or even weeks.
At a Glance
- Usually affects both legs, most often the thighs, calves, shins or behind the knees
- Pain tends to appear in the evening or overnight and resolves by morning
- Most common between ages 3 and 12
- Not actually linked to growth spurts — the exact cause is still unclear
What Causes Them?
The honest answer is that researchers don't fully know. What we do know is that growing pains don't occur in the areas where growth actually happens, and they aren't more common during periods of rapid growth — so the traditional explanation doesn't hold up scientifically. The name has simply stuck around from an older, now-outdated theory.
A day of heavy activity — running, jumping, climbing — may make symptoms more likely that evening. Some researchers have also linked growing pains to a lower pain threshold, to muscle fatigue from high activity levels, and to emotional stress or anxiety. Low vitamin D and mild joint flexibility or foot posture issues have also been suggested as contributing factors in some children. For active kids and young athletes in particular, days with a heavier training or competition load can be a trigger worth keeping an eye on.
When to See a Doctor
Growing pains are common and generally nothing to worry about, but not all leg pain in children fits this pattern. If your child's pain matches any of the following, it's worth booking an appointment with one of our sports and exercise physicians for a proper assessment:
- Is persistent, or getting worse over time
- Affects only one leg
- Is still present in the morning or during the day
- Is severe enough to limit your child's usual activities
- Is centred in a joint, rather than a muscle
- Follows a specific injury
- Comes with swelling, tenderness, fever, limping, rash, loss of appetite, weakness or fatigue
These signs don't necessarily mean something serious is going on, but they do warrant a proper assessment. A sports and exercise physician can examine your child, rule out other causes of leg pain such as an injury, infection, or joint condition, and give you a clear answer either way.
How You Can Help at Home
There's no specific treatment needed for typical growing pains, but simple comfort measures often help:
- Gently massage the affected muscles
- Apply a warm heat pack to sore areas
- Encourage gentle stretching, particularly in the evening
- Reassure your child — acknowledging the pain is real and that it will pass helps more than you might expect
For most children, symptoms ease on their own within a year or two and don't cause any lasting problems or affect growth.
Not Sure If It's Growing Pains?
Our sports and exercise physicians can help distinguish typical growing pains from other causes of leg pain in active children and young athletes — and put your mind at ease either way.
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