4 year old with sore/achy knees/joints?

Question

My friend's 4 1/2 year old son wakes up crying in the night because his knees hurt. Lately, he has been complaining about it during the day too. But at night he really has problems. He has spent the night with me before and when he wakes up it is horrible. I thought he was having nightmares. He just screams and calms down when someone rubs them. Could this be growing pains? Anyone else experience this?

Answer 1

It sounds like my two least favorite words... Growing Pains!

My 2 kids went through the same thing! My oldest with her knees, my youngest her calves.

Try a heating pad on low or try rubbing some type of arthritis cream on his knees.

He may be going through a little growth spurt. When my kids would start complaining about their pains, sure enough, a few weeks later we were buying new clothes for them because they grew.

Those bones and muscles are stretching and growing and that can be quiet painful. (Most kids go though this around his age.)

My oldest had her knee pains (off and on) from ages 4 thru 7. She's 8-1/2 now and hasn't had a pain in almost a year and a half. My youngest however, still has them from time to time.

The pains should only last between 3 to 5 weeks. Then they'll go away for a while (until his next growth spurt).

If the pains last more than 5 weeks, see a doctor.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Sore Achy Knees

Answer 3

MY 4 yr old has the same problem. I have taken her to the doctor and all they tell me is that it is growing pains. Does he have flat feet or almost flat feet? My daughters doctor told me that growing pains, on top of flat feet can make the pain ever so much more intense. The pain seems to be more severe if she has been very active. Have your friend take her son to the doctor. They will run tests to see if it arthritis or just growing pains. They did that to my daughter. The only solution that I have found is to massage the joints and give her Tylonel or Mortin for the pain. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Sounds like growing pains but I would mention it to your doc just to be safe. It is quite normal at that age to have growing pains. The boys I used to babysit both would have similar pains in their knees, they were ages 3 & 5. I used to warm a oatmeal heat bag in the microwave for them. They would wrap the bag around their knees and they both said it felt better afterwards.

Hope this helps and that the pains go away soon!

Answer 5

Ounds like real gowing pains. (I never thought that was true until my son did the same thing at 4 yrs. old). Or is there anyone in the family with Rumatoid arthritus? My sister went through that when she was 3 and 4 and found out her grandpa had rumatoid arthritus and bllod relatives will always cary the gene, it just depends on if it flares or not.

Answer 6

when i was growing up that use to happen to me all the time. I remember my knees aching so bad I would just cry and cry. My mother said it was growing pains and she would but a warm cloth on them. I got them until I was about 12 I think, but his could be something more. I'd take him to a dr just to be safe.

Answer 7

When I was little I had this problem and it was growing pains but it could be a circulation problem I would take him to the doctor just to make sure but most likely its growning pains.

Answer 8

Yes these are merely growing pains. I had them when I was his age and unfortunatley for some time. My son now is going thru them and he is the same age as your friends child. Have him eat more bananas. My son eats one per day and it helps that he loves them ;)

Answer 9

It could be growing pains or
It may be Osgood-Schlatter Disease.
My daughter has it and it can be fixed.

Answer 10

KNEE PAIN AND SOMETIMES HAND