“Growing Pains” and Chiropractic Care

Posted with permission from Pathways: Modified excerpt from: "Growing Pains" and Chiropractic Care by Tricia Arndt, DC, DACCP. Read more in Pathways

"Ouch! My legs hurt, Mommy!" Have you ever had your child wake up in the middle of the night complaining of leg pains? Do you remember having them as a child? These are commonly referred to as "growing pains" and can be defined as recurrent leg pain in children ages 2–12 years. The term "growing pains" was first seen in medical literature in 1823. There were many different explanations for these pains. Some, such as the assertion that pains are a symptom of rheumatic fever, have been discredited.

What are Growing Pains?

Although there are no known medical causes, theories of cause range from muscle fatigue to juvenile arthritis. According to a 1984 study, limb pain was a presenting complaint in 7% of pediatrician visits. A South Australian study published in the August 2004 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics found that approximately 36.9% of children 4–6 years of age experienced growing pains. This was nearly one third of the children in the population. These leg pains are usually brushed off as normal occurrences by medical doctors who contribute them to daily physical activity. Parents are given few to no options for treatment. Typically, massaging the legs and the use of analgesics are the only suggestions. Parents are told this is normal during the growth process and it will pass. This offers no comfort to parents who awaken to their child’s cries night after night. Should we accept this weak diagnosis of "growing pains" that affect 25%–40% of children? The answer is "NO!" Are there other options available to alleviate these leg pains? YES! Try Chiropractic!

Getting to the Cause

So, what causes these "growing pains"? From a chiropractic standpoint, we must look at the biomechanical issues. We must first understand the growth process time line. The first five years of a child’s life is the time of greatest spinal growth. During the first year of life, the spine increases 12 cm in length and another 15 cm between 1 and 5 years of age. Between 5 and 10 years of age, the

growth rate decreases to 10 cm. There is another increase at puberty between approximately 10 and 18 years of age with 20 cm of spinal grown in males and 15 cm in females. Logically, if something interferes with this growth process, there may be problems. What if a child was put into a baby walker before his/ her body was ready to walk? This premature walking assistance can alter biomechanics, leading to postural abnormalities, disruption of proper locomotion skills, and also injury to the child. Other interferences of the growth process may include birth trauma, a fall, sports injuries, and overly sedentary lifestyles.

Another important point is that many of these children also have complaints of spinal pain in addition to the leg pain. There is little medical research, but, much of what there is focuses only on growing in the legs. Chiropractors look at the body as a whole and not as separate parts. Chiropractors recognize that, if there is stress in one area of the body, the rest of the body will somehow compensate for this stress.

How Does Chiropractic Help?

Chiropractors work with the spine and nervous system. The nervous system controls every system, organ, and cell in the body. The spinal column houses the nerves, with nerve roots exiting between each spinal bone, called vertebrae. Stress overload, such as physical, emotional, or chemical stress,

affects nerve system function. Causes of stress overload in the child originate from physical traumas such as the birth process, postural compensations (i.e. sedentary postures and backpack carrying compensations), and common childhood injuries.

Nerve stress can affect any system or organ of the body. The doctor of chiropractic performs a thorough exam of the child’s spine and locates areas of misalignment contributing to this nerve system stress. The specific chiropractic adjustment restores nerve system function and the child’s whole body benefits. Growing pains is one common disorder resulting from nerve system stress. The child may feel leg pain, which can range from an achy, throbbing feeling to a sharp pain.

Altered biomechanics and spinal misalignment, especially in the lower lumbar spine and pelvis, creates imbalances in the quadriceps, hamstring, and calf muscles, which may contribute to leg pain. Pelvic misalignment can lead to leg-length

inequalities; the child is unevenly distributing his or her weight, placing additional stress and strain not only on the spine, but feet, ankles, and knees as well.

I can recall one of my young patients with severe leg pains. He was three years old and had leg pains both day and night. All his parents knew to do was rub his legs, with minimal relief. He couldn’t run or play for very long without the pain returning. He also said his "butt" hurt (pointing to his lower back area) when he experienced leg pains. I found a significant spinal misalignment in his lower back area, which I adjusted. Within a week of chiropractic care, his leg and "butt" pain were practically gone! What a relief to this three-year old boy and his parents!

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Modified excerpt from: "Growing Pains" and Chiropractic Care by Tricia Arndt, DC, DACCP. Read more in Pathways at pathwaystofamilywellness.org

What Does It Mean to Be Truly Healthy?

Before we explore ways that we can keep our kids in balance we need to consider what it means to be truly healthy and "in balance." Many of us are socialized into not considering our health until symptoms appear. We believe, "If I feel well, I must be healthy; if I feel sick, I must be unwell." We lead such demanding lives that when a headache, cold or backache arises we opt for the quickest and easiest remedy: drugs. While there is always a place for drugs and surgery, our "there’s a pill for every ill" mantra doesn’t address why we are experiencing the symptoms in the first place.

Ask yourself: If a person in pain takes a pill and the pain then goes away, does this mean he or she is healthy again? Of course not. Symptoms are a message from our body that there is a problem and that change is needed. A true indicator of health is when the body is able to effectively adapt to the stressors placed on it.

So many children today are super-sized, chronically unwell, depressed or unable to concentrate. Indeed, our youth are not coping with the stressors of the modern world. It’s important we explore ways to help them be healthier, more resilient and empowered for a brighter future.

This begins with asking good questions. As a parent, we can usually sense when something is not quite right with our child. If this is your hunch, then it’s important you ask: Why is my child chronically unwell? Why is he constipated? Or why can’t she concentrate?

We can look to nature for inspiration. Take a moment to imagine the approach biologists might take if a certain region of a rainforest died. Would they simply remove the dead trees and replant vegetation? Or would they investigate what had caused the destruction? If all the fish in a particular lake were found to be dying or have

deformities, would biologists and wildlife experts simply prescribe medication for the fish? No, that would be illogical. They would examine what caused the imbalance in the environment. They would look at the ecosystem and consider all the factors that sickened the fish, and then set about eradicating these factors and implementing strategies to recreate homeostasis or balance.

Now imagine a child who behaves aggressively. How would health experts tackle this problem? Is it logical to offer him medication for behavioral issues, or do we serve this child better by investigating the foods he is eating and his hydration levels, considering whether he is over-stimulated by electronic gadgets and computers, and assessing his nervous system and communication between the gut and the brain?

The human body is remarkable, and when it is functioning and coordinating itself well it has the capacity to heal and regenerate. If we can teach our children that health comes from within and that their bodies have tremendous intelligence and capacity to ward off illness, then early warning signs like a runny nose or a sore throat will not be seen as a signal to take antibiotics, but rather as an indication that they need to slow down, get lots of rest and boost their immunity with natural foods. Drugs are not always the answer. There are safe and effective approaches and holistic health practitioners who can empower us to navigate our family’s health outcomes.

Kids Out of Balance

February 2015 • icpa4kids.org

Provided by Pathways to Family Wellness magazine, published by ICPA, Inc. For more information visit: www.pathwaystofamilywellness.org and www.icpa4kids.org.

Compliments of ICPA Member:

Establishing and Advancing the Chiropractic Family Wellness Lifestyle

Signs of a Body out of Balance

As parents it is important that we observe our children to see that they are integrating their world in an age appropriate manner. An imbalance can be indicated in a variety of ways. A baby, for example, may cry or fuss during feeding and arch her back. Her head may be an uneven shape, or she might not like lying on her tummy. Becoming familiar with the expected developmental milestones will help you assess whether your baby or child’s behavior is problematic or not. (For further information, please refer to my book Ticklish: New Ways to Help Your Child Learn, Love & Play at ticklishbook.com.)

For older children, some warning signs of a body out of balance may be:

 Slow recovery from minor illnesses, and recurring colds, flus and allergies

 Poor balance and coordination

 Inability to concentrate

 Agitation, anxiety

 Oversensitivity to environmental noises

 Eczema, pale skin, discoloration under their eyes

 A bloated tummy, constipation

 Hyperactivity

 Defiant or angry behavior

 Consistently low mood, lack of enthusiasm for life

 Difficulty sleeping

 Fatigue upon waking, general sluggishness

Visit your ICPA chiropractor today to have your child examined for imbalances.

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Modified excerpt from: Kids Out of Balance by Jennifer Barham-Floreani, B.App.Clin.Sci, B.Chiropractic.