Growing pains in children

Like adults, children get aches and pains in their legs. Growing pains are one of the most common reasons, and they can be upsetting for both the child and the parent. The good news is that they don't cause any damage, and they go away as children get older. Here's what they are, how they're recognised and what can help.

What are growing pains?

Growing pains are aching legs that come and go in children who are otherwise well.¹ The pain is felt in both legs, usually in the muscles at the front of the thigh, behind the knee and in the calf.¹,² They tend to start in the late afternoon or evening and can wake a child at night, but they're gone by the morning.¹,²

Growing pains are common, affecting up to about a third of young children.¹,³ They most often show up between the ages of three and five, and again from about eight to 11.²

Pain in the joints of the legs or feet isn't typical of growing pains. It needs to be checked to see whether something else is going on.²,³

What causes them?

Nobody knows for sure. Despite the name, the pain isn't caused by bones growing.² Over the years there have been three main ideas:

• Body structure: that things like flat feet or knock knees make the leg muscles work harder. Research has since found no link between foot posture and growing pains, so this idea has lost support.³
• Tired muscles: that the pain comes from overworked muscles in active children.¹,³ Some children do have more pain after a day of lots of running and playing.²
• Pain sensitivity: that some children are more sensitive to pain in general. Children with growing pains do seem to feel pain from pressure more easily.³

Growing pains also run in families. Many children with growing pains have a parent, brother or sister who had them too.³

How are they diagnosed?

There's no test for growing pains. The diagnosis is made by taking a careful history and examining your child to make sure there's no other cause for the pain.¹ Occasionally your child may need further tests or a referral to a specialist if something doesn't fit the usual pattern.

What are the typical signs?

Your child may complain of sore, aching legs at bedtime or wake up during the night with leg pain. Some children cry or are very distressed. The pain doesn't happen every day: there may be a few nights of pain, then none for weeks or months.¹ This on-and-off pattern can carry on for months or even a few years.¹

Between episodes, your child should be active, playing normally and not limping.¹

What can help?

Most growing pains settle with simple care at home.

• Comfort and reassurance. Let your child know the pain isn't harmful and will pass.
• Massage of the sore legs.¹,²
• Gentle warmth, such as a warm bath or a mild heat pack.¹,²
• Stretches for the thigh and calf muscles before bed may help.¹ Stretching is the only treatment that has been tested in a trial, and it seemed to help, though the study was small.³ Our podiatrists can show you a simple stretching routine.
• Pain relief medicine, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, can be used if needed. Check the right dose with your doctor or pharmacist first.¹,²

It can also help to keep a simple pain diary, noting which nights your child has pain, how bad it is and what they did that day. This helps you and your podiatrist spot patterns.

If your child also has foot pain or a foot problem, we'll assess it and treat it on its own merits, for example with footwear advice or orthoses (shoe inserts). Growing pains themselves go away as children grow older, usually by the mid-teens.²

When to see a podiatrist or GP

See your GP or a podiatrist if your child's leg pain:

• is in one leg only, is severe, or is still there during the day
• is in a joint, or comes with swelling, redness or tenderness
• follows an injury
• makes them limp
• comes with a fever, rash, loss of appetite or your child seeming unwell or unusually tired.¹,²

These signs suggest the pain may not be growing pains, and your child should be checked promptly.

If you'd like a podiatrist to check your child's legs and feet, book an appointment with our team in Booragoon.

References

1. The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (2007). Growing pains (Orthopaedic fact sheet 18). https://www.rch.org.au/uploadedFiles/Main/Content/ortho/factsheets/GROWING-PAINS.pdf
2. Better Health Channel, Victorian Government (2026). Growing pains. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/growing-pains
3. Evans AM (2008). Growing pains: contemporary knowledge and recommended practice. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 1, 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1757-1146-1-4

Reviewed by Andrew Schox, Podiatrist, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod. Last reviewed October 2026.