Bone strength may play a role in ‘growing pains’
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Weaker-than-average bones may contribute to the “growing pains” some children experience in their legs, a small study suggests.
Israeli researchers found that some children who complained of such aches had less dense shinbones compared with the norm for their age. The finding, according to the study authors, suggests that relatively weaker bones may make some kids more vulnerable to pain from exercise.
That does not mean, however, that parents should stop their children from being active; the reduced bone strength seen in some children, say the researchers, is probably innocuous. Moreover, exercise helps build bone during childhood.
The term “growing pains” describes the recurrent aches many children feel in their legs during the growth-spurt years—typically between the ages of 3 and 5 or 8 and 12. The pain appears to emanate from the leg muscles, rather than bones, and it cannot be attributed to an injury or underlying medical condition. Many experts believe growing pains are a response to the running, jumping and generally rough-and-tumble lifestyle of children.
The leg pain nearly always crops up at the end of the day, particularly if it’s been a highly active day.
In previous research, Dr. Yosef Uziel and his colleagues found that children who complain of growing pains also seem to be more sensitive to pain than their peers—suggesting that pain perception may help determine which kids suffer growing pains.
In this latest study, published in the Journal of Rheumatology, the researchers looked at whether bone strength might also be involved.
Using ultrasound scans of the children’s shinbones, they measured the speed of sound moving through the bone—an indicator of bone density and strength. Of the 39 children, the researchers found, 28 percent showed lower-than-average bone density in the shin.
Combined, Uziel and his colleagues conclude, their two studies suggest that growing pains may reflect an “overuse syndrome” that particularly affects children with a low tolerance for pain.
However, the findings are likely not a cause for concern, Uziel, a pediatrician at Meir General Hospital in Kfar-Saba, told Reuters Health. The children in this study, he noted, were healthy, and there’s no evidence linking growing pains with higher rates of bone fracture.
Uziel said he and his colleagues are continuing the follow the children to chart changes in their bone strength and pain.
SOURCE: Journal of Rheumatology, July 2005.
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