Growing Pains: Myth or Reality

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Growing Pains: Myth or Reality

November 27, 2007

If we truly learn from our mistakes, growing can be a little painful depending on the size of the mistake. Growing pains of childhood are a different matter. It is commonly believed that growing pains are caused by stretching leg muscles, due to rapid growth of bones. How many times did you hear your parents explain the pain in your leg as "growing pain"? I will admit I use it all the time.

So tell me, do you think growing pains are a myth or reality?

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17 Comments

3 years 30 weeks

Recently I have experienced pains in my legs, fingers and feet when I wake up in the morning and in the afternoon.Sometimes when I breathe that hurts too I was wondering if that was anything to be feared, btw im 14.

jenny1971 5 years 17 weeks

My oldest boy is around 6 ft and everytime he had a growing spurt he hurt. He would scream and cry in pain at night. My younger son who is barely 5 ft 5 inches never suffered with the pain.

starkiss23 5 years 24 weeks

I really thought this was true!

minaminamina 5 years 24 weeks

My father is a physician, and also believes in growing pains - one poster mentioned above their pain was due to dehydration - well that's what a growing pain is! Your body is changing, and needs more nutrients, attention, and yes, hydration. I'm skeptical of the results of this quiz, considering most medical professionals are wholehearted believers in growing pains. I'll never forget being young and trying to stretch out my legs as far as they could go to relieve those pains.

minaminamina 5 years 24 weeks

purrtykitty 5 years 24 weeks

yeah...i'm not so sure. i grew 6 in. in one year, and i remember that i was in pain - and my doc told me they were growing pains.

Peyote 5 years 24 weeks

I still believe in growing pains. :)

EllaBella 5 years 24 weeks

I am sceptical and think it's more like a myth but I am only 5'1" so probably I don't know what I am talking about :)

insanitypepper 5 years 24 weeks

My parents used to write off my acid reflux as growing pains.

jiujiu 5 years 24 weeks

i can accept that growing pains aren't from achy stretched muscles, but how would they test this anyway?? i'm skeptical.

tinadutes 5 years 25 weeks

My boys suffer all the time. I was not sure at first if it was growing pains, but my 14 year old is 6'1". I do believe that it is due to his growth spurts.

thirtythreezero 5 years 25 weeks

Wow, this is so not true. When I was in 5th grade, in a space of 7 months, I grew 3.5 inches, and I was playing competitive soccer at the time, and dang, was I hurting. And it wasn't just when I was running, it was all the time. My legs, hips, ankles, everything. I reached my current (and final height) of 5'10" when I was in 7th grade, and up until then, I was constantly hurting, even though I continued to play competitive soccer until I was 17. Once I reached that height, the pain went away, so I know that it was growing pains.

thirtythreezero 5 years 25 weeks

DeviousMuse 5 years 25 weeks

Hmmm... I shot up a lot in height over two years in high school. As a Freshman, I was about 5'6" or so, and when I graduated, I was 5'11" (where I am now). Between Sophomore/Junior year was when I probably grew about 3"... I honestly believed that my body was taking my growing pains out on me. ;)

DeviousMuse 5 years 25 weeks

kiddylnd 5 years 25 weeks

I used to (and now sometimes still do) get awful pains in my legs. Dibilitating pain that woke me up at night. I now know it to be dehydration pains. My body definately lets me know when I'm not getting enough fluids. I always thoght they were growning pains too, until I stopped growing (been the same height since 7th grade!) and the pains kept coming back. :)

julieulie 5 years 25 weeks

Interesting. I had a lot of severe pain in my feet when I was little, and we went to two orthopedists, and they both chocked it up to growing pains overstretching the tendons... I guess whether or not they do exist is subjective.

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