Children, from toddlers to teens, can experience leg pain.
This article will discuss the causes of leg pain.
It will also cover when leg pain is serious and when to contact a healthcare provider.
Halfpoint Images / Getty Images
It affects both legs, but not always at the same time.
Below, we will cover health conditions that can cause leg pain in children.
It will not cover obviousleg injurieslikebone fractures.
Muscle Strain
Amuscle strainis when a muscle is stretched beyond its limits and begins to tear.
It is also called a pulled muscle.
It causes pain, swelling, bruising, and redness at the site.
Totreat a muscle strainin the affected muscle, apply ice and elevate the limb.
Low Calcium Levels
Low calcium levels (hypocalcemia) are when a child lacks adequate calcium.
This can be because of not consuming calcium,low vitamin D levels, and medical conditions.
Hypocalcemia can cause muscle cramps and bone pain in children.
It’s treated with calcium andvitamin D supplements.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Another cause of leg pain in children is juvenile idiopathicarthritis.
It is anautoimmune conditionthat affects children and teens.
It causes joint pain and swelling, typically in the ankles, knees, hands, and wrists.
It can cause a child to refuse to walk or walk on their tiptoes.
It tends to go away on its own after three days.
This causes swelling, pain, and hip instability.
SCFE is diagnosed through a physical exam andX-rays.
Treatment involves surgery to stop the femur head from slipping further.
Osteosarcoma
Osteosarcomais a key in of bone cancer.
It is very rare but is the most common throw in of bone cancer in children.
It tends to grow at the bottom of the femur and top of the tibia.
An osteosarcoma diagnosis will require blood tests, scans, and a biopsy.
Treatment will vary based on the staging and other variables.
Osgood Schlatter Disease
Osgood Schlatter diseaseis a condition that causes knee pain in children.
It causes inflammation below the knee, where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia.
The condition typically occurs during childhood growth spurts as the muscles, bones, and tendons quickly change.
Osgood Schlatter disease treatment includes rest, ice, stretching, andstrengthening exercises.
Why Do Children Feel Leg Pain at Night?
Leg pain can be felt at night for various reasons.
Children with growing pains will feel pain at night from the physical activity they participated in during the day.
Contact a healthcare provider when a child is young and unable to express their pain and describe it.
The provider can assess the situation and determine what, if any, treatment is necessary.
The child may have difficulty describing the pain and articulating what makes it better or worse.
It could be a muscle strain, growing pains, or even a tumor.
American College of Rheumatology.Growing pains.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hypocalcemia in children.
Arthritis Foundation.Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Magee H, Goldman RD.Viral myositis in children.Can Fam Physician.
2017;63(5):365-368.
University of Michigan Health.Juvenile myositis.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
Cedars Sinai.Osteosarcoma (osteogenic sarcoma) in children.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Osgood-Schlatter disease.
