Aches & Pains in Children 6-11 Years

Pain is your body’s way of trying to protect or heal itself. For example, if your child has a sore elbow or knee, pain is the body’s way of ensuring that joint isn’t used so that it can heal.

While children’s pain is usually caused by a trip and fall or a sports or recreation injury, some children experience growing pains. Growing pains are unpredictable and children between the ages of 4 and 12 are most susceptible to them. While we don’t know what causes them exactly, we do know they cause very real and sometimes intense pain. What we know for sure is that growing pains are perfectly normal and that they:

• Usually occur at night
• Affect your child’s lower limbs
• Can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours

If you’re unsure if your child’s pain warrants a visit to the doctor, read “When to call the doctor about your child’s pain” found on the Tips for Relief of Your Child’s Pain page.

At this age, your child is perfectly able to communicate where their pain is and should be able to tell you how much pain they’re feeling; like “no pain,” “a little pain” or “lots of pain,” or rate their pain on a scale of zero to 10. And that’s a big relief for you.

But in some cases, older children will put on a “brave face” rather than admit they’re in pain because they don’t want any stop in the action. They naturally want to keep playing and doing, or may want to avoid what they think will be more pain if they go to the doctor. If you suspect that’s the case, watch for these telltale symptoms:

• Overly silent or withdrawn
• Restlessness
• Change of heart rate
• Irritability
• Lack of appetite

Your child’s gender may also play a role in how they show pain:

• Girls tend to be fearful and anxious when they’re in pain
• Boys tend to be angry