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.
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.
Authors: Lone Nikolajsen; Anders D Kristensen; Line K Pedersen; Ole Rahbek; Troels S Jensen; Bjarne Møller-Madsen Journal: J Child Orthop Date: 2011-03-17 Impact factor: 1.548