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Somatosensory test responses in children with growing pains
Shanthi Pathirana1, David Champion, Tiina Jaaniste
1Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Growing pains (GP) in children are a regional pain syndrome. This study found mild, widespread somatosensory processing disorders in children experiencing growing pains.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pain Management
- Neurology
- Somatosensory Research
Background:
- Growing pains (GP) are common in children, but their underlying nature remains incompletely understood.
- Previous research has not conclusively identified GP as a peripheral neuropathic pain syndrome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the understanding of growing pains (GP) in children.
- To investigate the specific nature and characteristics of this common pediatric pain disorder.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 33 children with GP and 29 controls (aged 5-12 years).
- Utilized standard consensus questionnaires for GP diagnosis and pain characteristic assessment.
- Employed somatosensory testing and peripheral nerve provocation tests to evaluate for neuropathic disorders.
Main Results:
- Pain characteristics in GP cases aligned with existing descriptions.
- No evidence supported GP as a primary musculoskeletal or peripheral neuropathic pain syndrome.
- Cases showed statistically significant, albeit minor, heightened responses to cold, vibration, and deep pressure stimuli compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Growing pains (GP) are identified as a regional pain syndrome.
- This study provides evidence of a mild, widespread disorder in somatosensory processing associated with GP.
Purpose:
To further the understanding of growing pains (GP), in particular, the nature of this pain disorder.
Methods:
This study included 33 children aged 5-12 years who met criteria for GP (cases) and 29 children without GP of similar age and sex (controls). Nineteen controls were siblings of cases. GP was diagnosed by standard consensus questionnaires. A questionnaire addressed characteristics of the pain and family history of GP. Evidence for peripheral neuropathic disorder was tested by somatosensory testing and provocation tests of peripheral nerves. Somatosensory testing by a blinded researcher involved threshold determination and/or response magnitude to nonpainful stimuli including touch, dynamic brush, cold, vibration, and deep pressure applied to limb and abdominal sites.
Results:
Distributional, temporal, and quality characteristics of the pain were in accordance with published descriptions. There was no indication of primary musculoskeletal disorder. No evidence was found that GP is a peripheral neuropathic pain syndrome. There were minor but statistically significantly increased responses to cutaneous cold, vibration, and to deep pressure stimuli in cases compared to controls, evident in a wider distribution than the symptomatic lower limbs.
Conclusion:
GP is a regional pain syndrome with evidence in this study of mild widespread disorder of somatosensory processing.
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