Growing pains are ‘a myth’! Scientists say there is no evidence that the age-old condition exists –

Hearing your child complaining about growing pains may seem like an important part of parenting.

However, research now shows that there is no such thing.

While a child’s discomfort may be real, the old phrase sounds like nothing more than a misnomer.

University of Sydney experts reviewed the available literature behind the condition.

Of the 150 articles analyzed, 95% did not mention growth in the description of the condition.

The “disturbing” findings mean that doctors should stop diagnosing children with growing pains until more is learned about the condition, the team said.

They suggested that there may be a number of other causes of muscle and bone pain in children.

According to studies, about one-third of children—first mentioned in an 1823 medical book—experience growing pains at some point in their lives.

The NHS defines them as “an uncomfortable or throbbing feeling in both legs”, usually standing around age 12. They are harmless, but can be very painful.

Experts don’t know what causes them, but they know they can run as a family, but the NHS already admits they haven’t really grown.

In extremely rare cases, pain that doctors ignore as growing pains is actually caused by serious diseases, including cancer.

Lead author, musculoskeletal health expert Dr. Mary O’Keeffe said: “Thousands of children have been diagnosed with growing pains by their doctors, but we wondered: what does this diagnosis actually mean?”

The review, published in the medical journal Pediatrics, analyzed 147 studies that reported increased pain.

Only seven of them mentioned growth-related pain.

More than 80% of studies did not mention a young person’s age at the time of their “growing pains”.

Also, there was no broad consensus or lack of detail about where the pain was or when the pain occurred.

Half referred to “growing pains” in the lower extremities, while just over a quarter specifically referred to the knees.

48% of studies said “growing pains” occurred in the evening or at night, and 42% said they were recurring.

The range of definitions found in the literature suggests that “growing pains” may be a medical misnomer, the researchers said.

Co-author Professor Steven Kamper, a back pain specialist, said: “What we found was somewhat disturbing.

There is no consistency in the literature on what ‘growing pains’ means.

Definitions were very variable, vague, and often contradictory. Some studies have suggested increased pain in the arms or lower body.

“Some said it was about the muscles, while other studies said it was about the joints.”