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KIDS ..... GROWING PAINS |
Article Submitted by: derrick blair
Saturday, 20 February 2010
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Originally published in 2000, and now completely revised and updated as of 2009, the RCN guideline on the recognition and assessment of acute pain in children looks at when and how pain should be assessed and by whom. As well as the report itself, this resource provides high quality, tailored material to inspire and support implementation of the findings and recommendations in the guideline. During the elementary school years, many children experience relatively severe pains in their legs, often after a strenuous day of activity. Usually dubbed growing pains, there's little known about why this pain even occurs. In fact, most physicians believe there's little connection between these pains and growth spurts except for the fact that they usually occur during a period of rapid growth. Pediatrician and editor of "The 3a.m. Handbook", Dr. William Feldman says "growing pains, by definition, means that it occurs in both legs usually around bed time. It can usually be made better by rubbing the legs or giving a little acetaminophen." Typically growing pains occur at night while a child is off his feet and in bed. And unless the pain is caused by something else, Dr. Feldman says parents can rest assured that growing pains will pass in time. "Growing pains, if you're sure that they are growing pains, should never be a sign of concern. There are a couple of hallmarks of growing pains. First it always affects both legs, so if a child only has a pain in just one leg, never the other, then that's not typical and should be seen by a physician. If you notice redness around the joints, swelling around the legs, a rash, fever or a limp then it's not growing pains and the child should be seen." Dr. Feldman adds that growing pains are "always gone by morning". If these pains are still present upon awakening this could signal something more serious. In many ways growing pains are a right of childhood passage. Still if you have any concerns about leg pains in your child, then have him examined by his doctor. Pain assessment is crucial in ensuring that effective processes and procedures are used to prevent or minimise children's pain. Health professionals, parents and carers have a responsibility to learn the language of pain expression by children, to listen carefully to their self-reports of pain and to attend to behavioural cues. The detection of children's pain can be improved by using pain measurement tools that are appropriate to their cognitive development and can be understood by the adults caring for them. Why update the children's pain guideline? Pain recognition and assessment is a developing area. There is new research emerging all the time into the best way to approach it and it was important to update the guideline to capture the findings from this research. Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com |
About The Author:
Born in Kingston Jamaica in the year 1965. Been involved in child nutrition since 1990.Started
writing articles since 2005.My site http://www.kidzandstuff.com was conceived to serve the needs of
parents who want to give their kids that extra boost in life, to gain that edge.Also to help
themselves too,in the process.Can also be found at http://kidzandstuff.yolasite.com
Born in Kingston Jamaica in the year 1965. Been involved in child nutrition since 1990.Started writing articles since 2005.My site http://www.kidzandstuff.com was conceived to serve the needs of
parents who want to give their kids that extra boost in life, to gain that edge.Also to help
themselves too,in the process.Can also be found at http://kidzandstuff.yolasite.com
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