Joint Pain: How to Care for Your Child

Joint pain can happen for many different reasons and can come on slowly or suddenly. Joint pain may feel like an ache, soreness, or sharp pain and may be worse with movement. Follow these instructions to care for your child.

• Follow your health care provider's recommendations for:

  • how long your child should take a break from sports and activities that might put stress on the joint

  • trying low-impact exercises that are less likely to cause pain, such as swimming or biking

  • any stretching or strengthening exercises

  • any supportive gear that might help your child when they are cleared to return to activities

  • seeing a physical therapist

       For pain, your child can:

• Take ibuprofen (such as Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand), if recommended by your health care provider. Follow the directions on the label for how much they should take and how often.

• Place a cold pack wrapped in a towel on the area for 15–20 minutes a few times a day for the first few days after an injury. Put a towel or cloth between the cold pack and the skin. 

• Place a heat pack wrapped in a towel on the area for no longer than 20 minutes (being careful not to burn the skin) or have your child take a warm bath or shower. Heat packs can also help with stiffness.

• Massaging the area also may help.

Your child:

• has pain that gets worse

• has no improvement in pain after a few days

• has signs of infection, such as fever, swelling, warmth, or redness of the joint

• develops pain in other areas of the body

• won't move or use the joint

• can't do normal activities

• has new symptoms, such as a rash, headaches, fever, weight loss, or feeling tired

Your child:

• has severe pain

• develops numbness, tingling, or weakness near the joint

What causes joint pain? Many things can cause joint pain, such as:

• overuse

• muscle strain

• sports, especially if someone does too much activity too quickly 

• injury

• stress

• other medical conditions, like an infection or inflammation

What can help prevent joint pain? It may help for your child to:

• Work with a sports trainer to make sure they don't overtrain and that they warm up and cool down correctly.

• Wear supportive athletic shoes.

• Improve their posture. They should keep their shoulders back, their back straight, and their chin up when sitting and standing, and keep their weight even over both hips and feet when standing.

• Avoid carrying very heavy objects. If they use a backpack, try to keep it light. They should use both shoulder straps when wearing the backpack.

• Get plenty of physical activity to keep muscles strong.

• Stay at a healthy weight.

• Talk to a counselor if stress might be a cause of the joint pain.