Growing Pains

🌿 Overview

Growing pains are a common complaint in children, typically affecting the legs (especially the calves, thighs, or behind the knees) in the evenings or at night. They are not caused by growth itself but likely by nutritional insufficiencies, muscle fatigue, or circulatory factors. With good nutrition and supplementation, they are largely preventable.

Despite the name, growing pains are not directly caused by growth. They are most common between ages 3–5 and 8–12. The cause may be nutritional — particularly calcium and magnesium deficiency — or related to muscle overuse. Children who are more active during the day tend to have more pain at night. Adequate nutrition, especially calcium, magnesium, and selenium, prevents most cases.

Common signs

• Aching or throbbing pain in the legs (calves, thighs, behind knees)
• Usually occurring in the evening or nighttime
• Pain-free during the day
• No swelling, redness, or limping

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

• Nutritional deficiencies (calcium, magnesium, selenium)
• Muscle fatigue from heavy physical activity
• Possible circulatory factors
• Inadequate diet

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

1. Provide a daily nutritional program rich in calcium (2,000 mg), magnesium (1,000 mg), and selenium (500 mcg).
2. Ensure adequate vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → A (from carotene — orange and yellow fruits, vegetables, and carrot juice), B-complex, vitamin C (1,000 mg), and vitamin E (400 IU).
3. Feed the child a well-balanced, nourishing diet.
4. Completely eliminate junk food.
5. Ensure adequate arginine intake (coconut, oats, soybeans, walnuts, wheat, wheat germ, carob) — arginine triggers growth hormone release from the pituitary.
6. If pain is present at night, gentle massage and warm compressA cloth soaked in warm or cold liquid, held on the skin. How to make a compress → to the affected area provides relief.
7. Ensure adequate sleep and physical activity balance.
8. Consult a physician if there is swelling, limping, redness, or fever — these suggest a different cause.

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🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Favor these

• Calcium-rich plant foods (kale, broccoli, almonds, sesame)
• Carrot and vegetable juices
• Orange and yellow fruits and vegetables (beta-carotene)
• Arginine-rich foods (oats, soybeans, walnuts)
• Whole grains

Go easy on

• Junk food
• Sugar
• Soft drinks (leach calcium)

Calcium (2,000 mg) and magnesium (1,000 mg) are the most important supplements for preventing growing pains.

📜 A note from history

Growing pains have been noted in medical literature since at least the 19th century. The connection to nutritional factors — particularly calcium and magnesium — was identified by orthomolecular physicians in the latter half of the 20th century.

💬 Ask Remy about Growing Pains