Growing pains are common aches that affect children between ages 4 and 14, usually in their legs. Researchers wanted to know if not having enough vitamin D in the body causes these pains. They compared children who had growing pains with children who didn’t. Surprisingly, they found that almost all children in both groups had low vitamin D levels. Even more interesting, kids who took vitamin D supplements felt better at the same rate as kids who didn’t take them. This suggests that vitamin D deficiency might not be the main reason children get growing pains.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether children with low vitamin D levels are more likely to experience growing pains compared to children with normal vitamin D levels.
  • Who participated: Children aged 4-14 years old, divided into two groups: those experiencing growing pains and those without growing pains. The exact number of children wasn’t specified in the study details.
  • Key finding: About 96% of children with growing pains and 93% of children without growing pains had low vitamin D. There was no meaningful difference between the two groups, suggesting vitamin D deficiency alone doesn’t explain why some kids get growing pains.
  • What it means for you: If your child has growing pains, low vitamin D might not be the cause. While vitamin D is important for bone health, taking supplements didn’t help kids with growing pains feel better faster than kids who didn’t take them. Talk to your doctor about other possible causes and treatments.

The Research Details

This was a case-control study, which is a common way to investigate whether something causes a health problem. Researchers identified two groups of children: those experiencing growing pains (the “case” group) and those without growing pains (the “control” group). They measured vitamin D levels in both groups to see if there was a difference. The study lasted 6 months. Children with low vitamin D were given supplements, and researchers tracked whether this helped reduce their pain.

The researchers also measured other bone-related substances in the blood, including calcium, phosphate, and an enzyme called alkaline phosphatase. These measurements help show how well the body is using vitamin D for bone health. By comparing these measurements between the two groups, the researchers could determine if vitamin D deficiency was connected to growing pains.

Case-control studies are useful for investigating possible causes of health problems because they allow researchers to look backward in time and compare people who have a condition with those who don’t. This approach is practical and cost-effective. However, it’s important to understand that this type of study can show associations but not always prove that one thing directly causes another.

The study had some strengths: it measured actual blood levels of vitamin D rather than just asking children about their diet, and it included a control group for comparison. However, the exact number of participants wasn’t provided in the available information, which makes it harder to assess how reliable the results are. The study was relatively short (6 months), so long-term effects weren’t examined. The fact that almost all children in both groups had low vitamin D is interesting and suggests this might be a common condition in the population studied, but it also means there wasn’t much difference to compare between groups.

What the Results Show

The most striking finding was that vitamin D deficiency was extremely common in both groups. About 95.6% of children with growing pains had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels, while 93.3% of children without growing pains also had low levels. This small difference (about 2%) was not statistically significant, meaning it could easily have happened by chance.

When children with low vitamin D were given supplements, their pain improved at about the same rate as children who already had sufficient vitamin D levels and didn’t receive supplements. This is an important finding because it suggests that simply giving vitamin D supplements doesn’t specifically help growing pains.

The researchers also looked at other blood markers related to bone health (calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase). These measurements showed no meaningful connections with vitamin D levels in either group. This further suggests that vitamin D deficiency alone doesn’t explain growing pains.

The study found that children with sufficient vitamin D levels experienced pain reduction similar to those who received vitamin D supplements. This suggests that factors other than vitamin D status may be more important in determining whether a child experiences growing pains or how quickly they improve. The lack of correlation between vitamin D and other bone-related blood markers in both groups indicates that the relationship between vitamin D and bone health in growing pain sufferers may be more complex than previously thought.

This research adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that vitamin D deficiency, while common in children, may not be a primary cause of growing pains. Previous studies have proposed various causes for growing pains, including muscle fatigue, rapid bone growth, and muscle tightness. This study’s findings support the idea that growing pains are likely multifactorial—meaning many different things can contribute to them, rather than one single cause like low vitamin D.

The study had several important limitations. First, the exact number of children who participated wasn’t clearly stated, making it difficult to judge how reliable the findings are. Second, the study only lasted 6 months, so researchers couldn’t see if vitamin D supplementation helped over longer periods. Third, almost all children in both groups had low vitamin D, which meant there wasn’t much variation to study. This makes it harder to see if vitamin D really matters. Finally, the study didn’t explore other possible causes of growing pains, so we still don’t know what actually causes them in most children.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, vitamin D supplementation specifically for treating growing pains is not strongly supported. However, vitamin D is still important for overall bone health and development in children. If your child has growing pains, focus on other proven approaches like stretching, massage, and over-the-counter pain relief if needed. Ensure your child gets adequate vitamin D through diet and sunlight exposure as part of general health maintenance, but don’t expect it to be a cure for growing pains. Confidence level: Moderate—this is one study, and more research is needed.

Parents of children aged 4-14 who experience growing pains should care about this research. If you’ve been considering vitamin D supplements specifically to treat your child’s growing pains, this study suggests that approach may not be effective. However, this doesn’t mean your child shouldn’t have adequate vitamin D for overall health. Children with diagnosed vitamin D deficiency should still receive appropriate treatment for general health reasons, just not specifically for growing pain relief.

Growing pains typically improve on their own over time. This study found that pain reduction happened at similar rates whether children took vitamin D supplements or not, suggesting that time and other comfort measures (like stretching and massage) may be the main factors. Most children see improvement within weeks to months, regardless of vitamin D status.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your child’s pain levels using a simple 1-10 scale each evening for 2-4 weeks. Note the location of pain, time of day it occurs, and any activities that seem to trigger or worsen it. This helps identify patterns and shows whether interventions are actually helping.
  • Instead of focusing solely on vitamin D supplementation, implement a stretching routine for your child’s legs before bedtime (5-10 minutes of gentle hamstring and calf stretches). Combine this with warm compresses and gentle massage. Log these activities in the app to track correlation with pain reduction.
  • Create a weekly pain diary that tracks: pain intensity, duration, location, time of day, activities performed that day, and any treatments used. Over 4-8 weeks, you’ll see patterns that help identify what actually helps your child. Share this data with your pediatrician to guide further treatment decisions.

This research summary is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Growing pains are common and usually harmless, but persistent or severe pain in children should always be evaluated by a healthcare provider to rule out other conditions. Do not start or stop any supplements for your child without consulting your pediatrician. While this study suggests vitamin D supplementation may not specifically treat growing pains, your child may still benefit from adequate vitamin D for overall health. Individual responses to treatment vary, and your doctor can provide personalized recommendations based on your child’s specific situation.