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The discomfort in the lower limbs, commonly referred to as “growing pains” in children and adolescents, which is typically associated with rapid growth, may indicate the presence or risk of migraines, according to a recent study published in the journal ‘Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.’
The author of the study noted, “In families where children experience growing pains, there is a higher occurrence of other pain syndromes, particularly migraines among parents. Conversely, children with migraines exhibit a higher incidence of growing pains, suggesting a shared underlying cause. Thus, we hypothesized that growing pains in children could serve as a precursor or co-occurring condition with migraines.”
The study included 78 patients over a 5-year follow-up period, with 42 belonging to the growing pains group and 36 in the control group. Among the subjects who experienced growing pains, 76 percent reported headaches, while only 22 percent of the control group did. Additionally, growing pains emerged in 39 percent of participants who were previously symptom-free and persisted in 14 percent of those who had them at the outset of the trial.
The authors concluded, “Pain in the lower limbs of children and adolescents may indicate a precursor or co-occurring condition with migraines.”
