Editing Growing pains (section)

== Diagnosis ==
This diagnosis is normally made by considering the information presented by the child and family members, and by doing a physical exam to make sure that the child seems to be otherwise healthy.<ref name="Mohanta 2014" />  When the child has the typical symptoms and appears to be healthy, then laboratory investigations to exclude other diagnoses is not warranted.<ref name="Mohanta 2014" /><ref name="Uziel_2007">{{cite journal|year=2007|title=Growing pains in children|journal=Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal|volume=5|pages=5|doi=10.1186/1546-0096-5-5|pmc=1869025|pmid=17550631|vauthors=Uziel Y, Hashkes PJ |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Goodyear_2006">{{cite journal |vauthors=Goodyear-Smith F, Arroll B |title=Growing pains: Parents and children need reassuring about this self limiting condition of unknown cause |journal=BMJ |volume=333 |issue=7566 |pages=456–7 |year=2006 |pmid=16946319 |doi=10.1136/bmj.38950.463877.80 |pmc=1557982}}</ref>

When a child has growing pains, there are no objective clinical signs of inflammation, such as [[swollen joint]]s.  Children with growing pains do not have signs of any [[systemic disease]]s (such as [[fever]] or [[skin rashes]]), any [[Allodynia|abnormal pain sensations]], tender spots, or [[joint disorders]].<ref name="Lehman 2017" />  Children do not have growing pains if the pain worsens over time, persists during the daytime, only involves one limb, or is located in a joint.<ref name="Mohanta 2014" />  It should be excluded if the child is limping, loses the ability to walk, or has physical signs that suggest other medical conditions.

Childhood-onset [[restless legs syndrome]] is sometimes misdiagnosed as growing pains.<ref name="Mohanta 2014" /><ref name="Goodyear_2006" /> Other possible causes of pain in the limbs include injuries, infections, benign tumors such as [[osteoid osteoma]], malignant tumors such as [[osteosarcoma]], and problems that affect the shape and function of the legs, such as [[genu valgum]] (knock-knees).<ref name="Mohanta 2014" />