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Five-year outcome of children with "growing pains": correlations with pain threshold
Yosef Uziel1, Gil Chapnick, Lutfi Jaber
1Tel-Aviv University, Sackler School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel. uziely@zahav.net.il
Insights
Most children outgrow growing pains within five years. Persistent growing pains in children are associated with a lower pain threshold, suggesting a pain amplification syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pain Medicine
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Growing pains are a common, benign condition in children.
- The long-term prognosis and underlying pain mechanisms require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the 5-year outcome of growing pains in children.
- To investigate the association between persistent growing pains and pain threshold.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 44 children with growing pains and 38 pain-free controls.
- Parental questionnaires assessed pain syndromes, and a dolorimeter measured pain thresholds.
- Outcomes were correlated with pain threshold measurements.
Main Results:
- After 5 years, 51% of children experienced resolution of growing pains.
- Persistent growing pains were associated with significantly lower pain thresholds compared to controls and resolved cases.
- Accompanying pain syndromes decreased, and no patients developed fibromyalgia.
Conclusions:
- Growing pains demonstrate a benign prognosis.
- Persistent growing pains may indicate a pain amplification syndrome in early childhood.
Objective:
To examine the 5-year outcome in a cohort of children with "growing pains" and the association with changes in pain threshold.
Study Design:
Subjects were 44 children with growing pains studied previously, and controls were 38 pain-free children matched by sex and age. Current status of growing pains and other pain syndromes were assessed by parental questionnaires. Pain threshold was measured with a Fisher-type dolorimeter. Outcomes were correlated with the pain threshold.
Results:
We examined 35/44 patients (80%) after 5 years. Eighteen patients (51%) experienced resolution of growing pains. In 14 of the 17 patients with persistent growing pains (83%), episodes were less frequent and milder. The prevalence of accompanying pain syndromes decreased from 20% to 14%. No patient developed fibromyalgia. Pain thresholds were similar in the entire growing pains cohort and healthy controls, but those with continued growing pains had significantly lower thresholds than controls (P <.05) and patients with resolved growing pains (P <.02).
Conclusions:
We confirm that growing pains has a benign prognosis and probably represents a pain amplification syndrome of early childhood.
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