Stomach pain during growth and puberty is one of the most common complaints among teenagers. Find out the best ways to deal with it.

Teenagers face changes every day. Often, there are stressful, unexpected, or simply unfamiliar situations where they have to overcome challenges and grow beyond themselves. When stomach pain occurs during growth and puberty, it can naturally be somewhat uncomfortable. Today, we want to take a closer look at what pain during growing up can mean and how we should best handle it. Usually, there is no cause for concern! Pain during puberty can occur frequently and is usually harmless.

Growth in Adolescents

Growth pains often occur in adolescents. These can appear sporadically and then disappear again. Sometimes these pains last for a longer period, whereas many adolescents experience intermittent pain and discomfort that often subsides after a short time. Pain is unpleasant and can make daily life difficult. But once we know the cause of the pain, we can usually treat and manage it more easily. We want to explain below how you can quickly recognize and treat these pains in your kids.

Surprisingly, but important to know: toddlers can already suffer from growth pains from the age of three. These can manifest in different ways. This means that stomach pain can occur not only during later growth and puberty but also in the first years of childhood. However, these pains more often arise during the later growth phases. What exactly do these pains feel like? Usually, children suffer from a pulling, sometimes burning, and also prickling pain that primarily occurs in the abdominal area. Other affected body parts include the head, legs—especially the thighs and shins—and also the chest area.

When Do Growth Pains Occur in Adolescents?

You can expect that stomach pain during growth and puberty mostly occurs in the late afternoon or evening and can continue into the night. The pain usually appears during recovery phases. When kids wake up in the morning, the complaints are often gone as if by magic. Strangely, many teenagers then feel especially fit. The pain subsides after rest periods and only returns in the evening or at night. How exactly do the physical complaints manifest; which body parts are affected? As mentioned briefly above, many complaints often occur in the abdominal area and legs. Usually, both legs hurt equally and simultaneously. It should be noted that the pain can vary greatly in intensity and can always appear in different body regions.

If your child had severe stomach pain yesterday and complains about cramping legs today, this can indeed be due to growth. While stomach pain during growth and puberty is the most common, it is closely followed by severe complaints in the legs. Some parents do not believe their children really have the pain because it occurs irregularly and always in different areas. Please believe your kids when they come to you with complaints. In some cases, “growth errors” can be the cause.

Where Do Stomach Pains During Growth and Puberty Come From?

Now we come to the causes of growth pains. We can often attribute growth pains to the still developing and growing bones. Due to the slow and sometimes rapid growth of the bones, some strong pain can occur precisely in these areas. Puberty and the normal “problems” of adolescence add to this, which can intensify the complaints. Because teenagers are usually more active, the pain can sometimes be even stronger. During physical activity, the complaints are usually not noticeable or only to a very small extent. The stronger pains, as mentioned above, tend to occur after sports.

The significant changes during puberty often cause pain in various body regions. Sometimes pain in the chest area can be perceived as heart complaints. Such complaints should definitely be taken seriously, but you should not become unsettled or worried. If you are unsure, you can consult a doctor for thorough advice and treatment. Most of the time, the pain is simply due to the growth and puberty of the children.

Vitamins for Adolescents

In some cases, growth pains are also caused by a deficiency of various vitamins. Especially during the teenage years, some children lack magnesium. You can support your children by providing magnesium-rich meals and taking their complaints seriously. For those who cannot get the necessary vitamins, such as magnesium, through their diet, personalized supplements may be recommended.

Please consult a doctor beforehand before taking various nutrient mixtures. With a home self-test using a hair sample, you can find out if your children might be lacking magnesium or other nutrients. Based on this, various supplements can be helpful. We hope this article has been helpful to you.