Just growing pains or something more serious?

Just growing pains or something more serious?

“Growing pains” are not uncommon in children, with up to 20% of children experiencing leg pain during periods of growth. However Arthritis New Zealand CEO Sandra Kirby notes for some children pain in the legs is a symptom that might need further investigation.

The medical ‘benign idiopathic nocturnal limb pains of childhood’ sums up growing pains – they are not serious; of no known cause; occur at night in the legs during childhood. “However if the pain in children occurs in only one leg; is accompanied by joint swelling; if there is morning stiffness or limping especially if this is accompanied by fever, loss of appetite or weight loss and is happening every night resulting in loss of schooling parents should make an appointment with a doctor,” says Mrs Kirby. “Arthritis does occur in children – and can be treated. Like many conditions, early diagnosis and treatment give better outcomes.”

This weekend, more than 30 children and their caregivers will travel to the Arthritis New Zealand camp for children with arthritis at Totara Springs Camp near Matamata. The children who are attending this year’s camp all have a diagnosis of arthritis. They will meet other children who are living with arthritis, ask questions, and challenge themselves on new activities.

Finding out you have arthritis doesn’t need to hold you back and they will enjoy activities like abseiling, flying fox, archery, raft building, kayaking and then the fun of the warm water hydroslide. The final day of camp also coincides with Te Rā O Te Tamariki (Children’s Day), which is celebrated every year on the first Sunday in March. The Theme is ‘Treasure our Children’.

It is important that the parents and caregivers get to meet other adults caring for children with arthritis. For while the camp is primarily for the children, many of the adults will never have met anyone else who has a child with arthritis.

Arthritis New Zealand is the national organisation focussed on raising awareness of the more than 140 different forms of arthritis, advocating for those with the condition, and providing advice and support. There are 578,000 New Zealanders living with arthritis, and 1,000 of them are children.

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