What are Growing pains?

   The term "growing pains" is usually applied to the vague and inconstant pains that children sometimes have in their arms or legs. Usually these pains do not seem to have any serious significance and are merely caused by the fact that the child is growing so fast that his bones and muscles have not kept their proper relations to each other. In mild cases plenty of sunshine, good food, and the passage of time will usually overcome the difficulty. In a few cases serious structural abnormalities of the spine, joints, or muscles may be present and an orthopedic surgeon should be consulted as to whether braces or other special measures are desirable. Some children with these vague pains seem to have something wrong with one or more of their endocrine glands. Sometimes the pains may disappear after diseased tonsils or adenoids are removed or infected sinuses treated. There is a question whether "growing pains" are in some instances a mild manifestation of rheumatic fever. A child with "growing pains" may develop heart trouble similar to that seen after rheu­matic fever, and this suggests a possible relationship in a few instances though this seems to be the exception.