U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Growing pains

MedGen UID:
602543
•Concept ID:
C0423693
•
Sign or Symptom
Synonym: Growing pains in limbs
SNOMED CT: Growing pains (102482005); Growing pains in limbs (102482005)

Definition

Episodic childhood musculoskeletal pain, usually brief (a few minutes), intense, nocturnal, involving both legs, with no identifiable cause or sequelae. [from SNOMEDCT_US]

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Growing Pains: Opportunity Knocks in the 2022 Center for Disease Control Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Pain.
Harvey RE, Fischer MA, Williams TM, Neelankavil J
J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2023 Jun;37(6):857-859. Epub 2023 Feb 8 doi: 10.1053/j.jvca.2023.02.007. PMID: 36868905
Patient experience with a large-scale integrated behavioral health and primary care initiative: A qualitative study.
Siantz E, Henwood B, Gilmer T
Fam Syst Health 2020 Sep;38(3):289-299. doi: 10.1037/fsh0000529. PMID: 32955286
Evaluation and management of pain in patients with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome: a review.
Lee A, Driscoll D, Gloviczki P, Clay R, Shaughnessy W, Stans A
Pediatrics 2005 Mar;115(3):744-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.2004-0446. PMID: 15741381

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

"Growing pains" in children and adolescents as an early symptom of migraine: A prospective study.
Silva-Néto RP, Soares AA, Souza WPO, Krymchantowski AG, Jevoux C, Krymchantowski A
Headache 2023 Sep;63(8):1070-1075. Epub 2023 Sep 6 doi: 10.1111/head.14608. PMID: 37671464
A real-world pharmacovigilance study of abaloparatide based on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Shi X, Cheng Q, Zhao YZ, Zou SP, Sun MH
Osteoporos Int 2023 Dec;34(12):2047-2058. Epub 2023 Aug 18 doi: 10.1007/s00198-023-06877-6. PMID: 37594595
Growing pains: strategies for improving ergonomics in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.
Lin E, Young R, Shields J, Smith K, Chao L
Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2023 Aug 1;35(4):361-367. Epub 2023 Apr 25 doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000875. PMID: 37144567
Defining Growing Pains: A Scoping Review.
O'Keeffe M, Kamper SJ, Montgomery L, Williams A, Martiniuk A, Lucas B, Dario AB, Rathleff MS, Hestbaek L, Williams CM
Pediatrics 2022 Aug 1;150(2) doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052578. PMID: 35864176
Growing pains.
Koretz RL
Gastroenterology 2000 Mar;118(3):633-5. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5085(00)70275-7. PMID: 10702219

Diagnosis

Growing pains.
Greco PM
Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2024 Feb;165(2):129-130. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2023.11.002. PMID: 38302218
Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis.
Rafferty BA, Thakrar P
Med Clin North Am 2024 Jan;108(1):227-239. Epub 2023 Jul 11 doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2023.05.022. PMID: 37951653
Growing Pains.
Lehman PJ, Carl RL
Sports Health 2017 Mar-Apr;9(2):132-138. Epub 2017 Feb 8 doi: 10.1177/1941738117692533. PMID: 28177851Free PMC Article
Growing pains: practitioners' dilemma.
Mohanta MP
Indian Pediatr 2014 May;51(5):379-83. doi: 10.1007/s13312-014-0421-0. PMID: 24953579
Fabry disease.
Germain DP
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2010 Nov 22;5:30. doi: 10.1186/1750-1172-5-30. PMID: 21092187Free PMC Article

Therapy

Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis.
Rafferty BA, Thakrar P
Med Clin North Am 2024 Jan;108(1):227-239. Epub 2023 Jul 11 doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2023.05.022. PMID: 37951653
Chronic Nonbacterial Osteomyelitis.
Plummer J
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2020 Oct;50(10):585. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2020.9221. PMID: 32998612
Growing pains.
Printz C
Cancer 2016 Apr 1;122(7):985-6. doi: 10.1002/cncr.29947. PMID: 27000442
Growing pains: practitioners' dilemma.
Mohanta MP
Indian Pediatr 2014 May;51(5):379-83. doi: 10.1007/s13312-014-0421-0. PMID: 24953579
Fabry disease.
Germain DP
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2010 Nov 22;5:30. doi: 10.1186/1750-1172-5-30. PMID: 21092187Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis.
Rafferty BA, Thakrar P
Med Clin North Am 2024 Jan;108(1):227-239. Epub 2023 Jul 11 doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2023.05.022. PMID: 37951653
Defining Growing Pains: A Scoping Review.
O'Keeffe M, Kamper SJ, Montgomery L, Williams A, Martiniuk A, Lucas B, Dario AB, Rathleff MS, Hestbaek L, Williams CM
Pediatrics 2022 Aug 1;150(2) doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052578. PMID: 35864176
Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease and Growing Pains in Children and Adolescents.
Simakajornboon N, Dye TJ, Walters AS
Sleep Med Clin 2015 Sep;10(3):311-22, xiv. Epub 2015 Jul 7 doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2015.05.014. PMID: 26329441
Growing pains: a study of 30 cases and a review of the literature.
Pavone V, Lionetti E, Gargano V, Evola FR, Costarella L, Sessa G
J Pediatr Orthop 2011 Jul-Aug;31(5):606-9. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0b013e318220ba5e. PMID: 21654473
Growing pains: myth or reality.
Harel L
Pediatr Endocrinol Rev 2010 Dec;8(2):76-8. PMID: 21150836

Clinical prediction guides

Clinical, laboratory characteristics and growth outcomes of children with growing pains.
Liao CY, Wang LC, Lee JH, Wu KW, Lin YT, Yang YH, Chiang BL, Yu HH
Sci Rep 2022 Sep 1;12(1):14835. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-19285-3. PMID: 36050454Free PMC Article
Sleep-related movement disorders and growing pains: differences in daytime and bedtime behavior in 2-6 year old children with cleft palate.
Moraleda-Cibrián M, Edwards S, Kasten S, Warschausky S, Buchman S, O'Brien L
Sleep Med 2021 Sep;85:303-308. Epub 2021 Jul 21 doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.07.026. PMID: 34391005
Evaluation of Restless Legs syndrome and growing pains in children with familial Mediterranean f.
Altuğ-Gücenmez Ö, Makay B, Kaçar A, Ünsal E
Turk J Pediatr 2018;60(2):159-164. doi: 10.24953/turkjped.2018.02.007. PMID: 30325122
Common Pediatric Pain Disorders and Their Clinical Associations.
Donnelly TJ, Bott A, Bui M, Goh S, Jaaniste T, Chapman C, Crawford M, Hopper JL, Champion D
Clin J Pain 2017 Dec;33(12):1131-1140. doi: 10.1097/AJP.0000000000000496. PMID: 28272118
Growing pains: practitioners' dilemma.
Mohanta MP
Indian Pediatr 2014 May;51(5):379-83. doi: 10.1007/s13312-014-0421-0. PMID: 24953579

Recent systematic reviews

Somatic and neuropsychiatric comorbidities in pediatric restless legs syndrome: A systematic review of the literature.
Angriman M, Cortese S, Bruni O
Sleep Med Rev 2017 Aug;34:34-45. Epub 2016 Jul 1 doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2016.06.008. PMID: 27519964
The chiropractic care of children with "growing pains": a case series and systematic review of the literature.
Alcantara J, Davis J
Complement Ther Clin Pract 2011 Feb;17(1):28-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.08.006. PMID: 21168111

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Related information

    • PMC Articles
      Related information in PubMed Central Links
    • PubMed
      Related literature resources in PubMed

    Recent activity

    Clear Turn Off Turn On

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...