Not everyone experiences growing pains as they grow up. I am speaking of children in a physical sense. The other type of ‘growing pains’ can be life long and a gauge for our own personal growth through many stages of life. That is a complete and separate blog. I’ve had three children and only two ever experienced noticeable, physical growing pains. My oldest may have experienced it the most.
There have been several studies done on causes of growing pains. As with everything, there are too many perspectives to list. I will go with the obvious and most health related to many other things in life. Inflammation causes pain. That will be one area we address. Of course, nutrition can always be directly related to many issues with health. We will look into that area, as well. It’s been noted that a lot of times the night time wakefulness can happen more likely after a full day of exercise and exertion. The most obvious, looking at our children’s growth can be quite astonishing from moment to moment. One week, our child still has their little baby face and the next glance, their facial features and body image is so grown looking. What happened? How did it change over night? Some kids growth rates are much faster than others. Their bones, limbs, muscles, bodies are stretching and developing in ways we can’t even imagine.
That is where several other symptoms of ‘growing pains’ can come into play. They no longer are treated the same and have many more expectations put on them, while they, themselves try to navigate through this new body and new world perspective. To lightly touch on this area, good, clean and healthy sexualization discussions or classes by wholesome parents or qualified and vetted individuals is a nice introduction into expectations for the adolescents as well as preparing a good foundation for children to trust communicating with adults/parents/caretakers about their bodies, emotions, growth, and expectations. It is a strange new world and aiding in healthy development is the best gift we can offer our children for their future.
With that said, I will touch on the physical pains and home remedies I have used and suggest for parents to help soothe pains. It does usually catch up with and hit kids during bedtime and sleeping. Some have a hard time going to sleep and some are woke up with shooting pain in the middle of the night. Each individual is different and pain tolerances are also vast and vary.
The first thing that comes to mind starts right after birth, for our family. Good, chiropractic care from the very beginning can help keep our children’s bodies aligned and growing properly. We have always used several chiropractors for many reasons to aid in healing and healthy living. The child has to feel comfortable with the chiropractor you choose, in order for it to be a positive and accepted experience. There are so many chiropractors to choose from, it is important to find the one or few that work best for your family. This is my life long and first choice in several healing choices for our family members.
Nutrition is the next on my priority list. With healthy food supporting our bodies and gut health, we can keep a strong immune system and be able to work through pains better. Being overweight and sickly can hinder overall health. Making sure your child is NOT drinking any sodas and as limited sugar within family reason, is detrimental to positive outcomes for now and later in life. Sugars are the root cause of many ailments, including diabetes and inflammation. The best foods for inflammation are all produce, lemon, blueberries, pineapple, fermented foods, nuts, beans, eggs, olive oil, turmeric, garlic, and so many real foods. Also, limiting as much processed food and fried, fast fast as possible is one big thing that will help. Adding as much live food that comes from plants and trees will help keep the body moving along the right path. Get your children used to eating fresh vegetables and fruit from the beginning of time. You must also be an example for them to follow. Drinking lots of fresh, clean water all day long can be one of the best habits to get your entire family into.
With those two kept in mind, the normal exercise and proper vitamin intake is part of the puzzle. Many of us, children and adults, are so deficient in most minerals and vitamins, not just because of improper choices, the environment around us has depleted our food and water and air supply of all the natural goodies we need to thrive and survive. Our levels of magnesium and vitamin D are mostly low in most average folks. Being outside, in nature, exercising can help with vitamin D levels with the benefits of moving and working out. (Even if it is just walking).
Magnesium can be supportive in several ways of consumption. I make a lovely Magical Magnesium Oil that we spray right on the problem areas. It may be itchy at first, for most who are depleted. I’ve developed a Magical Magnesium Butter that helps soothe the itching and can be more tolerated by those who are sensitive to the itching. Baths can help soothe before bedtime and help with relaxing the muscles and calming the mood. I’d add magnesium flakes, Epsom salt, baking soda, and a favorite essential oil or a few different blends. A few essential oils to choose from can be Roman chamomile (known to soothe anxiety and muscle cramps), tangerine,(known to calm mild spasms), lavender (calming and relaxing), juniper berry (immune system booster and detoxing), are a few choices. There is a world of essential oils out there and choosing those that uplift the individual’s spirits can be most helpful. Rule of thumb, if the kids don’t like the smell, find one they like and also supports the cause. These baths can be very useful and desired by the kids.
It’s also empowering to show our children how they can help soothe themselves with specific choices they make. This also helps them to make healthier choices in the long run.
We have used CALM as a supplement for growing pains and also to help soothe children to bed. It comes in several flavors and the bubbly is inviting for most kids to down a little shot of it before bed. If for some reason, your child doesn’t tolerate it, they also make Calm brand gummies. There is sugar, so read the ingredients to make sure it works for your family.
My oldest played hard all day long with his basketball teams and practices and I believe he had more pain on highly exerted days. These remedies I mentioned helped soothe him through the rough times. We also had a chiropractor who did a red light therapy on his trouble spots, which was his ankle and leg area. Not every child will take to the same remedies, so I suggest tailoring to the individual, with their input.
Probiotics and enzymes have also been used in our household to help balance the gut health and lowering inflammation possibilities. These are the best remedies that have personally worked for our family and many I have helped throughout the years.
If you have anything to add that has worked for you, please add it below in the comments. It takes a tribe and our village needs to be willing to help support each other to lift this world to a higher standard of servitude. We all have gifts to share with the world, and bringing empowered and healthy kids into our future can help insure a wonder life for our babies.
Happy Family Health and Wellness 