Your child comes off the soccer field rubbing their knees, or wakes at night complaining of sore legs. Is it a normal part of childhood, or something worth checking?
It is a question many parents ask. When children are growing and playing sport, aches and pains can be difficult to interpret — particularly when they don't want to miss training or seeing their friends.
At Adaptive Physiotherapy & Massage in Booragoon, we aim to understand the child, their symptoms and their activities before deciding what support is appropriate. Here's how to recognise common patterns and when to seek an assessment.
What are growing pains, really?
Despite the name, typical childhood growing pains are not thought to be caused directly by bones growing. They are a recognised pattern of recurring leg discomfort in otherwise healthy children. The exact cause isn't fully understood.
Typical growing-pain patterns
- Often occur in children around 3–12 years old
- Frequently involve both legs, including calves, thighs or behind the knees
- Often appear in the evening or at night
- Usually resolve by morning, with normal activity and walking
Signs to get checked
- Pain consistently affecting only one leg or a specific joint
- Limping or difficulty bearing weight
- Swelling, redness, warmth or stiffness
- Persistent pain during sport or throughout the day
- Fever, unusual tiredness or feeling unwell
Gentle comforting strategies, such as a warm bath or a light massage, may help when symptoms fit the typical pattern. If you want advice about age-appropriate hands-on care, our kids and teens massage service is available in Booragoon. Persistent or unusual pain should be assessed rather than simply massaged.
Not every ache during a growth spurt is a growing pain. The location, timing and effect on your child's movement matter.
When it may be something more
Some children develop activity-related discomfort at developing bones, tendons or joints. These conditions are different from typical night-time growing pains and may require changes to training, assessment and individualised rehabilitation.
Osgood-Schlatter disease
Pain around the bony bump just below the kneecap, often aggravated by jumping, squatting or running. Read our guide to Osgood-Schlatter disease in young athletes.
Sever's disease
Heel pain commonly linked with sport during growth, sometimes with limping or tiptoe walking. Learn more about Sever's disease and heel pain in kids.
Patellofemoral pain
Discomfort around or behind the kneecap, sometimes associated with running, stairs or repeated knee-bending activities.
Shoulder pain in young throwers
Repeated bowling, pitching or serving can irritate a developing shoulder. Our article on shoulder pain in young throwers explains what parents can look for.
Back pain in active teenagers also deserves individual assessment, especially if it is persistent, worsens with particular movements or affects everyday activity. Not every case is caused by posture, tightness or weak muscles.
Why growth spurts can change movement
During adolescence, body proportions, strength, coordination and physical demands can change quickly. A young athlete may feel less coordinated for a period, notice differences in flexibility or find their normal training load more challenging.
Growing does not automatically cause an injury. But the combination of growth, sporting demands, rest and each child's capacity can influence how they respond to activity. This is why we look beyond a single sore spot.
How physiotherapy helps kids and teens
Our youth athlete physiotherapy approach starts with understanding where your child is now, what they enjoy doing and what they need to return to activity comfortably.
Assess the individual
We listen to the history and consider pain behaviour, training load, movement, strength and relevant developmental factors.
Explain what may be happening
Clear, age-appropriate information helps children and parents make sensible decisions about activity and symptoms.
Build strength and movement confidence
Exercise, movement practice and other strategies are selected around the child's goals and presentation — not imposed as a generic growth-spurt routine.
Manage training and recovery
When needed, we help adjust sporting loads and discuss sleep, rest and a gradual return to challenging activities.
Reassess and progress
As symptoms and tolerance change, the plan changes. For sporting injuries needing further progression, our sports rehabilitation program offers a related pathway.
What parents can do at home
Listen and notice patterns
- Ask where the pain is and when it occurs
- Note whether it interrupts sleep or activity
- Watch for a limp or change in usual movement
- Consider changes in training or competition load
Support comfortable activity
- Encourage suitable activity without pushing through worsening pain
- Prioritise adequate sleep and regular meals
- Check footwear fit as feet grow
- Seek advice before prescribing stretches or exercises for an undiagnosed problem
For typical growing pains, reassurance and comfort measures may be enough. When pain is activity-related, repeated or affecting normal life, the next step is to understand the cause rather than trying more exercises at random.
Why early advice can be valuable
Parents sometimes wonder whether symptoms are too minor for an appointment. An assessment is not always about starting a lengthy treatment plan. It may simply provide reassurance, appropriate activity guidance or a clearer picture of what needs monitoring.
Other times, identifying a sporting injury and adjusting the load early can make the pathway back to activity more manageable.
Back at training after three weeks.
One young soccer player in Booragoon came to us with knee pain during a period of rapid growth. After three weeks of gentle strengthening and movement retraining, he was back at training — pain-free and confident.
That's the kind of progress we love seeing. It's one child's experience, and recovery times and outcomes vary depending on the individual and the condition.
The Adaptive difference
At Adaptive Physiotherapy & Massage, we start with the child and what matters to them. We aim to make assessments understandable and rehabilitation supportive, so kids and parents know what to do next.
Movement, strength and recovery all matter — whether the goal is comfortable school sport, returning to tennis or getting through a busy netball season. Our clinicians can collaborate with coaches and other professionals where appropriate and with the family's agreement.
We have one clinic in Booragoon, welcoming families from Melville, Myaree, Applecross, Ardross, Mount Pleasant and neighbouring suburbs.
Helping your child feel confident as they grow
Not every childhood ache needs treatment, but pain that persists, worsens or changes how your child moves deserves attention. Understanding the difference between typical growing pains and a specific sporting condition can help you choose the right next step.
Not sure whether it's growing pains?
If your child is limping, avoiding sport or repeatedly complaining of pain, our team can assess their symptoms and help you make a plan that fits their age, activities and goals.
General educational information, not a diagnosis. Seek individual health advice for persistent, concerning or unexplained symptoms. Clinical outcomes and recovery times vary.