There's No Scientific Consensus on What 'Growing Pains' in Children Actually Are

Hundreds of years ago, the term 'growing pains' was used to describe the sensations many children experience in their development. There isn't much to define the diagnosis for such a popular concept.

Some researchers say the term is meaningless.

A recent review of literature on growing pains found no scientific consensus on many aspects of the condition, including when the pain starts, where it occurs, how often it hurts, or why.

There was a lot of disagreement among the peer reviewed studies.

Growing pains were pinned to the legs by some studies. Others are holding hands. The pain was on both sides of the body. Others said it was a single thing.

Most of the research didn't mention where the pain was located.

It's difficult to determine what aspects of child development might be triggering the pain because 83 percent of the studies didn't reference the age of onset. Only 5% of the studies mentioned growth.

The authors of the review wrote that the lack of clarity along with the generally accepted view that pathophysiology is unknown raises the possibility that "growing pains" is a misconception.

It is surprising to note that growing pains are shrouded in so much mystery and myth, despite the fact that they appear to be benign and manageable.

According to the authors of the review, doctors and researchers should be specific about their criteria for determining if someone is suffering from growing pains.

The authors have criticized the condition before. After all other types of pain conditions have been accounted for, other researchers wondered if growing pains were just a diagnosis of exclusion.

A recent study found that up to 37 percent of parents reported that their children had recurring leg pain.

Subjective measures such as self- reporting can leave a lot of room for interpretation, but results like these suggest there are a lot of young children who suffer from limb pain.

We don't know much about the condition if it has a unique basis. Researchers have put forward many explanations for growing pains, from stress to nutrition, but none have been tested.

There is a lack of evidence on growing pains as a condition, and how it is associated with growth, or even the cause of the pain.

Given how widespread the use of the term is, there is a chance to understand this condition.

The kids need to do more research.

There was a study published.