My son occasionally complains of pains in his arms and legs that are so severe he is almost in tears. He is very active so I am not sure if the pain is related to exercise or something more serious. How can I tell?
It's not uncommon to have 4 and 5-year-olds complain of painful arms and legs, and they may even describe bone pain. This usually occurs in the late evening, just before going to bed, or they may awake during the night with pain.
Several things could contribute to these complaints. If the child only complains immediately before being put to bed, this could be their attempt at putting off going to bed, or they may be trying to prolong the amount of time they have with their parent before going to bed. It's usually easy to identify this type of complaint and simple reassurance will usually suffice, but parents should be firm about the child's bedtime.
Of more concern is the child who consistently complains of aching legs or deep pain (bone pain). This pain is generally called growing pains in children between the age of 3 and 5, although there is no known physiological reason. Some experts think the pain is due to spurts of rapid growth involving bones and joints. These children wake up crying with pain, usually in their legs, and it is obvious they are uncomfortable. Parents can massage the legs, put their child in a hot bath or give the child acetaminophen to get rid of the pain. These painful episodes are often recurrent over several days or a week or so.
