Causes of knee pain in children
One of the most harmless causes of pain in the legs in early adolescence is “growing pains.”
In this case, discomfort is associated with active and not always uniform development of tissues. Do not forget that in such cases the pain is rarely intense; moderate discomfort is more common. The reason why knees hurt in teenagers may be age-related or hormonal changes. At this age, a restructuring of the body occurs, which is sometimes accompanied by a temporary thinning of cartilage tissue. The situation is aggravated by both physical inactivity and excessive physical activity, as well as poor diet. If you experience severe pain, medical attention is often required immediately. Pain and spasms are accompanied by many diseases of bones and joints, the circulatory system and muscle tissue. The most common causes of knee pain in children are:
- pathologies of musculoskeletal tissue;
- circulatory disorders, vascular diseases;
- diseases of the spine;
- metabolic disorders;
- infections;
- injuries and their consequences;
- overwork;
- unbalanced diet.
Most of the diseases that cause a child to complain of knee pain can be successfully treated at an early stage. Medical help must be sought on time, before pathological processes in tissues become irreversible. To better understand what is happening to the child and quickly take the necessary measures, it is advisable for parents to know the main signs of the most serious diseases that cause pain in the legs.
Infectious arthritis
This pathology usually develops 7–14 days after an infectious disease: sore throat, ARVI, food poisoning, etc. It can also begin when a wound located next to a joint becomes infected. The main danger of the disease lies in its rapid progression. Without treatment, dangerous complications can occur, including blood poisoning or severe destruction of joints. Features of the disease:
- significant increase in temperature;
- intoxication;
- fever;
- edema;
- severe pain in the knees.
If you notice signs of infectious arthritis in a child, you should immediately call an ambulance. Consequences of injuries If a child has pain in the knee of one leg, and the discomfort has arisen recently, it may be due to an injury - a crack, sprain or bruise. If, after a bruise or fall, your leg hurts for several hours and begins to swell, you must:
- remove the load from the limb;
- apply ice;
- seek medical help.
If painful sensations appear in a healing wound, it is necessary to carefully examine it. Wound cleansing in a hospital setting is required if:
- the wound surface emits an unpleasant odor;
- with light pressure, pus, yellowish or greenish liquid is released;
- the wound is covered with a yellowish or white crust;
- the leg is swollen;
- the skin around the damaged area is hot.
All these signs indicate an infectious process that must be eliminated as quickly as possible. Diseases of cartilage tissue The development of arthrosis, non-infectious arthritis and other articular pathologies may be associated with:
- congenital tissue abnormalities;
- negative hereditary factor;
- recent or chronic serious illnesses;
- autoimmune disorders;
- unhealthy diet;
- excessive physical activity.
In non-infectious diseases that destroy cartilage tissue, an inflammatory process is possible. It can cause intoxication, frequent vomiting, swelling and discoloration of the skin in the affected area. Deformation of the knee is often noticeable, and lameness and pain gradually increase. Please note: pathologies of cartilage tissue are especially well treated in the early stages, and conservative methods are sufficient for recovery, sometimes even without the use of medications. In advanced cases, restoring the normal anatomy of the diseased joint can be much more difficult, and if it is severely damaged, prosthetic surgery may even be required. Circulatory disorders Heart disease, pathological changes in blood vessels, and a tendency to thrombosis can also cause pain in the legs. Vascular pathologies are accompanied by:
- feeling of pain or burning in the veins;
- strong protrusion of the venous pattern;
- the appearance of pinpoint hemorrhages on the skin;
- spasms and convulsions;
- cold feet.
How to help a teenager
There is no specific treatment for such pain - it is a natural process, the symptom goes away on its own within 2-3 years. However, the child’s condition can be alleviated with the help of certain measures.
The most effective way is massage. 10 minutes of gentle rubbing is enough to restore normal blood circulation, relax muscles and relieve pain. Teach your child self-massage: consult a doctor, exercise therapy specialist, or find simple techniques yourself. Stroking, pinching and rubbing are allowed. This must be done in the direction from the hips to the feet.
Dry heat also improves blood flow and relieves muscle spasms: apply a heating pad to the area of concern for 10-12 minutes. For pain in the ankle joints, foot baths will help. Regular cycling exercises will also make the pain less severe.
Physical activity should be somewhat limited if the child plays sports: race walking and swimming are allowed. It is better to avoid long-distance running, team sports, and cycling. After consultation with an orthopedic doctor, you can take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and use warming ointments.
Diagnosis of knee pain in children
If a child has knee pain when walking and any of the above symptoms appear, you should contact an orthopedist, neurologist or rheumatologist. If you are in doubt about which doctor is best to go to, visit your local pediatrician first, and he will refer you to the right specialist. The doctor will conduct an examination, take a medical history, and then prescribe diagnostic procedures:
- X-ray;
- MRI;
- CT;
- ECG;
- lab tests;
- other studies.
Comprehensive diagnostics allows you to determine the cause of unpleasant sensations and identify all pathological changes: compression of nerves, narrowing of blood vessels, thinning of cartilage tissue, deformation of articular joints.
How does a child grow and what are growing pains?
The highest growth rate is observed in the womb, then it gradually decreases after birth until puberty, and then increases sharply again.
Close attention is paid to the growth of the newborn, which is explained by the importance of this parameter in the overall assessment of development. In the first year of life, a child usually grows by about 25 cm. Between the ages of 1 and 4 years, children grow at a rate of about 10 cm per year, reaching 100 cm by the age of 4 (“meter-high”, i.e. height 1 m, weight - approximately 16 kg). Subsequently, growth slows down somewhat (approximate growth rate of 5 cm per year) until puberty. The pubertal period is characterized by a growth spurt (10–15 cm per year) and is caused by the influence of the pituitary somatotropic hormone (GH), as well as an increase in the production of sex hormones (androgens and estrogens).
Important hormonal regulators of growth are somatotropic hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, sex steroids and thyroid hormones. Interestingly, decreased insulin levels or existing insulin resistance during adolescence negatively affect growth. The greatest interest is caused by peptides that have hormonal-like effects, synthesized in the body (growth factors). Relationships with the corresponding receptors trigger cascades of cell signaling reactions that selectively regulate gene activity. More and more new growth factors are being discovered, and information about their properties is growing very quickly. Growth will continue as long as the epiphyseal growth plates are preserved. Sex hormones (estrogen, testosterone) cause closure of the epiphyseal growth plates in late adolescence. The cartilage is completely replaced by bone and natural growth stops.
The final height a person achieves depends on the size of the long bones (tibia and femur). Androgens promote the closure of the epiphyseal growth plates and thus stop growth.
Growing pains are not recognized by all doctors; they are not considered as a diagnosis and represent clinically insignificant pain in the legs.
Features of treatment
The treatment plan is most often conservative. Surgery is rarely required if a child has pain behind the knee:
- with severe deformation of bones or joints;
- in the presence of an abscess or articular cyst;
- in some other difficult cases.
Therapeutic treatment is complex and includes:
- taking medications;
- exercise therapy;
- physiotherapy;
- auxiliary methods (massage, acupuncture, etc.);
- normalization of diet and rest.
An integrated approach allows you to eliminate pain, swelling and inflammation, as well as provide the body with necessary substances, improve blood circulation and tissue nutrition, strengthen local immunity and restore the normal structure of the joint. In all clinics of the Hello! There is modern equipment necessary for early diagnosis of joint pathologies. Experienced and attentive medical staff provide small patients with the most comfortable conditions during treatment, and the use of classical and latest techniques allows for a quick full recovery.
How do growing pains manifest themselves?
Children describe growing pains as aching, tense pain in the leg muscles above or below the knee, sometimes below the knee (pain is usually limited to the knee and/or lower leg area). As a rule, both legs are bothered. Some children complain of abdominal pain or headaches during these episodes. It should be noted that these are intermittent pains that usually occur in the evening or at night; sometimes the child may unexpectedly wake up at night during deep sleep and complain of pain in the leg. Growing pains never appear during the daytime. If these are growing pains, then regardless of the severity of the pain attack at night, the child always feels well in the morning.
Why do they arise?
The causes of growing pains are not reliably known. The best explanation for the mechanism of growing pains is the tension of the muscles and tendons as the leg bones rapidly increase in length. There are several ways to predict the approximate final height of children. The simplest method is used to calculate the final height of healthy children who have a “bone” age corresponding to or close to the “passport age”. Since there is a high positive correlation between the height of children and parents, formulas have been proposed for calculating the height of children depending on the height of parents.
approximate final height = (father's height (cm) + mother's height (cm)) + 6.5 cm.
2
Approximate
the girl’s final height = (father’s height (cm) + mother’s height (cm)) – 6.5 cm.
2
It is believed that a child is active during the day, and the information that his brain receives from tense muscles and tendons is lost in the flow of information from many other events. At night, when the child falls asleep and there are no distractions, pain impulses that come from tense muscles and tendons reach higher nerve centers and the child wakes up in pain. Therefore, this condition is observed during the period of the child’s most intensive growth and after high physical activity.
When should you see a doctor?
Most children do not need to see a doctor. Typically, active growth in children forces parents to consult a doctor in cases of accompanying symptoms such as fatigue, frequent illnesses, poor posture, etc. In their absence, accelerated growth is rarely a cause for concern. However, you should consult a doctor if:
- pain occurs in the morning and/or during the day; pain is prolonged, lasting for a long time;
- the pain is so intense that it interferes with your child's normal activities;
- the child complains of pain in the joints;
- discomfort and pain appeared after injury;
- pain is accompanied by signs and symptoms such as: swelling, redness, any change in the skin in the painful area, skin rash, increased fatigue, loss of appetite, fever.