hi my 10yr old son keeps complainig on and off about pain in his knee when he walks.?

Question

my husband thinks it may be down to growing pains any ideas?

Answer 1

sounds to me like its growing pains. This is when the bones grow faster than the muscles so its always understress.

If your son is within growing age, which i guess is early double figures then i wouldnt worry.

But as a precaution go see a doc. They'll know more than anyone. Or at least you'd hope so.

Answer 2

There are so many different knee problems that could affect a young boy. You could take a look at

www.kneeguru.co.uk

but I'd strongly advise you to take him to your GP and ask for a referal to a specialist for further investigation. They'll then go through the normal process of X-Rays etc. If these don't reveal anything but your son is still suffering then insist on an MRI scan as this might reveal soft tissue problems.

It's important to push for a scan if nothing shows up. I injured my knee aged 10 and for 13 years I was told it was just growing pains as nothing showed up on an X-Ray. When they eventually did a scan they found a small problem which was corrected in a simple operation. I suffered for 13 years because no one thought to do a scan.

The bottom line is listen to your son. If he's still suffering when the doctors say nothing is wrong don't let them fob you off.

Answer 3

There could be many causes to a problem like this:
1. Heavy Schoolbag: many kids nowadays are complaining of problems because of heavy school bags; if there is a locker system in his school see that he gets one.
2. Growing Pains: around the age of 10 is when you start to grow; not much you can do about this, although it is bound to go away in a few days.
3. Lack of Excercise: sometimes children don't get enough excercise, and so their bodies can get a bit weak; just play sports every day with him, or ask around about sports clubs, in most cases kids love to play sports... but if he doesn't it might be that he doesn't liek competitive sports, find a sport that he can do on his own, and not face competition.

If the problem persists don't hesitate to contact your GP, because they're the ones who can give proper, expert advice.

for more info http://www.emedicinehealth.com/knee_pain_overview/page7_em.htm

Answer 4

Joint pain can be from a lot of different sources. Knees take a lot of stress and you don't mention if it is only one knee or both. Growing pains are usually not in the joints. Mention to the pediatrician that he complains of his knees when walking and he'll have him checked out by an orthopedic doctor.

Answer 5

It might be worth further investigation - when does he actually complain of the pain, is it after playing a particular sport or sitting for a while then trying to walk? Also, has he recently changed his footwear? Lots of things can alter the mechanics of the body and put pressure on the structures surrounding the knee joint. He is at a crucial age where bone growth can be rapid, in relation to soft tissues, so its worth going to see a Physiotherapist ASAP - dont wait for it to flare up again!

Answer 6

Definitely growing pains!! I am a psychology major with a focus on developmental psychology and know that children either in early childhood (approx. 5yrs) or later as in your son's case experience this phenomenon. Growing pains always concentrate in the muscles, rather than the joints. Most children report pains in the front of their thighs, in the calves, or behind the knees.To help him massage the area, help him stretch, or if persists try a child's pain medicine. I don't think you need to go running to an MD as of now. If symptoms such as fever, redness, limping, loss of appetite (unusual behavior) occurs then yes go see a pediatrician. Hope this helps....

Answer 7

respects to your husband but growing pains in one knee I would' t leave it at that love, take your son to the doc, and let him decide.
It's possible that your son has fell on his knee or injured at sport or something, An ex ray will set your mind at ease.I ferll on my knee 20 years ago and it still bothers me. I hope the boys knee is not that bad thouigh.

Answer 8

If he's overweight and walks with a limp, have his hips checked. My nephew had a slipped growth plate in his hip, but he felt the pain in his knee and they wasted a lot of time looking at his knee first. I think the problem my nephew had runs in families and is more common in overweight boys.

Answer 9

my daughter when she a little bit older about 12 had this problem. it was because of how fast she was growing and the some of the cartilage in her knee had gone hard and was rubbing against the knee cap. its nothing to serious and they will grow out of it. but get it checked out by the Doctor.

Answer 10

Just take him to the Doc. When i had pains in my knee when i walked it was from my ACL, an that could have caused Huge problems , Better to be safe than sorry !