Most children experience aches in their joints and muscles at some point; parents often refer to the discomfort as "growing pains." Growing pains come and go, but some pain becomes chronic. Chronic knee pain can stem from several different conditions or diseases that affect children at different points in their lives. Just as the causes of a child's chronic knee pain vary, the treatment methods will vary as well.
Benign Hypermobility Joint Syndrome
Benign hypermobility joint syndrome (BHJS) is a condition that affects mostly girls in their "tween" years, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). BHJS is the state of having joints that are looser than most people's. Some people use the term "double jointed" when referring to this condition. As the term "benign" implies, the looseness of the joints does not harm a child's health and well-being, but the condition can cause some chronic aches and pains in the knee and other joints that may be affected. Joint pain and swelling may occur during physical activity or at night. Some children may require physical therapy if the chronic joint pain does not subside.
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA, is an inflammatory arthritis that affects children under the age of 16. Two forms of the disease, oligoarticular and polyarticular, involve the knee joints and can cause swelling and soreness and stiffness in the knees and other joints. Kidshealth.org, an information service affiliated with the Nemours Foundation, explains that JRA is most often treated through the use of medications and physical therapy. Children who have chronic knee pain due to JRA are encouraged to stay as active as they can to maintain range of motion of their knees and other affected joints.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a knee condition that can cause tenderness and swelling right below the knee and is prevalent in children who play sports, according to the AAFP's online resource, FamilyDoctor.org. Pre-adolescent and teenage boys are more at risk for developing Osgood-Schlatter disease than girls. The quadricep muscles in the thighs are strong in children who are affected, and pull on the patellar tendons that connect the leg muscles to the knee. The strong pull creates knee and shin pain, especially during physical exertion. Applying ice packs and cutting back on the child's sports schedule can help ease the pain.
