Aches and pains are something you expect to experience as you get older. We all accept that our bodies aren’t going to be as elastic and mobile as they once were. However, we don’t expect that our children are going to have to put up with various aches and pains for many years. And yet, kids can complain of seemingly random pains that have no obvious cause. If you have a child complaining about something hurting, but you can’t see an obvious injury, you might think they’re being sneaky and trying to get out of something. But there could be a number of reasons they’re feeling pain.

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Injury

Injuries aren’t always visible on the surface. While sometimes there’s a bruise, cut or swelling, it’s possible for your child to get hurt and not have an obvious injury. They might have fallen over or walked into something, hurting themselves but not immediately leaving a visible mark. If your child can still move everything and doesn’t seem to be in too much pain, the injury probably isn’t too severe, and you can treat it at home. However, if it’s a pain that doesn’t go away, it’s affecting their mobility (or even ability to sit or lie down), or you start to notice any swelling, seeing a doctor might be necessary.

Congenital and Developmental Problems

Sometimes, children are born with medical problems that aren’t obvious right away. Or they might develop an issue as they grow and something doesn’t grow as it’s supposed to. Some children can experience hip degeneration caused by hip dysplasia when the hip forms incorrectly. This sort of thing might happen to various parts of their body. However, it’s not necessarily easy to pick up just by looking. Seeing a doctor is often the only way to diagnose the problem with various tests and examinations.

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Illness

Being ill can sometimes cause aches and pains too. From headaches and tummy aches to sore throats and itchy skin, there’s a whole range of symptoms your child might complain of. Most illnesses might not be very pleasant to experience, but they can often be treated at home and will soon pass. Some more serious illnesses can occur too, of course. Some need to be addressed immediately, such as appendicitis, septicemia, and meningitis, so it’s important to know the symptoms to look out for that indicate that you might have an emergency on your hands.

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Growing Pains

Some pains that children experience don’t have a clear explanation. A lot of children and preteens experience “growing pains”, which are also called recurrent nocturnal limb pain. This is when children get aching legs, usually in the evenings and at night. Despite being called growing pains, there’s no evidence that they’re caused by growing. They might be the result of lots of physical activity, and they’re also more common in children with more flexible joints. They run in families too, so if you remember experiencing them, your child might too.

There’s no need to worry straight away if your child complains of being in pain. There are many possible causes, and usually, it’s nothing serious.

This is a collaborative post.