5 year old daughter with hand and foot pain for over 2 years

[Kaitedash]

Ever since my daughter was 3 years old she has been c/o sever hand and foot pain mostly at night and sometimes during the day. She is 5 years old now and it seems to be happening more frequently and waking her up in the middle of the night. I used to work at an orthopedic surgeons office and had x-rays taken of her hands and feet when she was 3 and also had bloodwork done. They were negative. Should I get another set of x-rays? Bloodwork? What kind of test should be run? For about 2 weeks now she has also been c/o a headache right behind her eyes. Any connection? I am worried it could be something unusual that her Doctor hasn't seen. Please help! Thank you!
Kaite from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

[Tatz21]

Hi kaite, not sure if you will read this since it’s an old post. I was wondering if you ever found out what was causing your child to have pain on her feet and hands? My 4 year old is going through the same and we don’t know what it is. Thanks

[Tatz21]

Hi kaite, not sure if you will read this since it’s an old post. I was wondering if you ever found out what was causing your child to have pain on her feet and hands? My 4 year old is going through the same and we don’t know what it is. Thanks

[Skiandrea]

Hello!!!! My 10 year old daughter came inside complaining of her feet hurting and I told her maybe her shoes were to tight to take them off and relax. The next day her heads started hurting and the pain was getting worse in her feet. I thought it was growing pain so I gave her Tylenol!!! Since this pain began ( 2 weeks ago) she has been to the Emergency room 5 times , seen her doctor twice, been admitted to the Hospital twice for serve pain. The doctors have done an MRI, CT scan , blood work, spinal tap, x rays,urine test,and brain scan & all test come back negative.She is home now but still has bad pain & don't sleep at night due to it.

[dvin]

Hello...my 5 year old autistic child has been suffering in the last year with the same issues.  I noticed now that his hands and feet sweat or feel clammy when he has it.  Before the pains would be an hour long.  At one point he was limping and they could find nothing.  He's had x rays, been to the er several times, doctors and noone will help me.  Now, they last about 10 minutes each about 3 or 4 times a day.  His pain is chronic.  He can't talk yet, but he's bangs and holds his hands and feet.  The doctors ruled out everything serious, but I'm not buying it.  They said it was either growing pains or his autism.  It's not his autism.  his hands and feet get clammy when he's in pain.  Please let me know what you find out.  I'm taking my son again tomorrow to address the clamminess.  Maybe, that will help them get closer to a more realistic diagnosis.  Please make sure doctors shield your child during x rays.  My hospital did not.  After I viewed the x rays, I was appalled by the many x rays taken of his genital area while they were trying to get the pelvic bone.  

[Kaitedash]

Thank you very much for all the useful tips! I will definitly use them. I think they just did a normal blood panel when they did bloodwork. She has been c/o headaches alot lately. At school on Monday she was sent to the nurses office 2 times but didn't have a fever so they didn't call me. She told me later that night when I got off work. I saw her teacher at my job (IHOP) she came in to eat. She told me that Kiarah was not herself that day and went to the nurse twice for head pain. I will start keeping a diary of her symptoms. Thanks for the info!

[mamawith2girls]

Has she seen a rheumatologist? Does she fatigue easily? Do you ever notice any swelling or redness in her joints? What type of bloodwork have they done? I think since her symptoms have been ongoing, if I were you I would start to keep detailed logs of her physical activities, when she experiences the pain, where on her body she experiences the pain, how often you are medicating and keep note of anything out of the ordinary (i.e. tiring easily, falling, limping, limb favoring, etc.) and my best advice would be to videotape episodes of pain and have her verbalize as much as she can about where and how the pain feels during the episode. You may start to see a pattern and have evidence from her mouth about how she is feeling. Take this information back to the pediatrician, and request a rheumy referral. And in the meantime, when she is having extreme, take her to the ER. You may not get anywhere there because the source of her pain may take some time to track down, but at least you have it on record that you felt it was necessary to take her to the ER based on her pain level. It *could* be growing pains, but if your instincts are telling you different, then you have to follow it through for your daughter. Good luck!! Oh yeah, one more thing.....you may have already tried this, but if not, perhaps a warm or cold cloth to wrap around her joints to ease the pain, or have her soak her feet and hands in warm water or some gentle massage. Kids really respond well to the comfort from their parents and their reassurance. Perhaps some relaxation techniques (breathing, counting, closing eyes, humming) would help her to manage the pain when she is in the thick of it, to alleviate some of the panic that may come along with having extreme pain at 2am. I wish you and her all the best (((HUGS))

[margypops]

The extreme pain could have been cramp..perhaps try some supplements , Vit C and VitBComplex also fish oil has been shown to be useful .

[Kaitedash]

Hello again! My daughter's pediatrican initially said that it was growing pains and that I should give her Motrin when she is c/o of pain. We did that for about 6 months and than one night she was rolling around on the floor crying hystarically holding her foot. It was about 2:30am. The next day I took her to the pediatrician and he recommended she see a children's orthopedic surgeon about 2 hours away. We went and took her x-rays and bloodwork and the specialist associated it with growing pains and MAYBE a flat foot. She was about 3 1/2 then. She is now 5 1/2 and still c/o the same things. Next time she wakes up in the middle of the night hysterical with pain in her hands or feet, I am taking her to the ER immediatly without giving her Motrin or Tylenol. I want a DR to see her in that much pain. I think it is more than just "growing pains" My brother and I or any other kid I knew never had this problem. I will keep ya'll updated! Thank you!
KaiteDash xoxo

[Worriedmom2016]

Hello, I know this post is pretty old, but it am wondering what was the outcome of your daughter? I have a 5 1/2 year old daughter, she is going through the same thing that your daughter went through. We have also gone through the doctor visits, blood work with everything came back negative. Was there anything done differently for your daughter? Has her condition improved? Please any help/info you could share would be greatly appreciated!!!!

[MomEofthree]

Same here. Our 3 year old son has had this for about a year. Doctors haven't been helpful, or just simply don't know. Please help!

[margypops]

Did you ask them if it could be growing pains, I know many children around this age suffer from them , one theory its muscle /ligament stretching.,ask her pediatrician if it could be growing pains Good Luck

[namnam46]

Hi Kaitedash,

First, I want to welcome you to the Pain Management Forum and let you know that we are glad you found this Forum. I want to let you know that there are NO Doctors on this Forum, only CP  {Chronic Pain}  Patients that help each other with our OWN expertise and experiences that we have developed through our OWN CP Issues.

It ALWAYS breaks my heart to hear of ANY child suffering from pain!!  Bless her heart.  What does her Pediatrician say?  What has he suggested?  A lot of the time when you are experiencing pain in the hands and feet it will be from a cause that has nothing to do with the hands and feet.  Such as nerve problems from the neck or back.  HOWEVER,  you are talking about a 5 year old child here.  That's where you need to count on her Pediatrician.  Normally, the next step MIGHT be an MRI BUT when it's a child it's USUALLY not something that they would do lightly.  As you would know, they DON'T like putting a child through the radiation when it isn't totaly necessary.

As I asked earlier,  what does your Pediatrician say about her symptoms?  I HOPE that you will update us.

I'll be looking for you update. As a Grandmother, I'm VERY concerned about your Sweet daughter.  :)

I wish you the VERY best.............Sherry