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View Full Version : DS complains of pain when standing - Anyone have similar experience?



julieakc
10-18-2007, 06:23 PM
Short version:

DS (3.5 years) complains of pain when walking or standing for more than a few minutes. I, nor the doctor, can see any evidence of injury. DS isn't specific about where the pain is and won't explain what (if anything) happened.


Long to provide details...

DS (3.5 years) woke up this morning and seemed fine. He had been in our bed for the last hour of the morning, so after we got up he went to his room to play while I went to the kitchen to fix breakfast. A few minutes later I called him to come to eat. He came walking down the hall but about half way to me he stopped and started saying it hurt to walk. I asked him if he fell (my only guess as to what might have happend) and he said yes. I asked him where he hurt and he generally pointed to his groin area. I looked at him and didn't see any bruises, bumps, scratches, etc. I picked him and hugged him and suggested that perhaps he'd feel better after breakfast.

He sat at the table but didn't look well...he looked sleepy. I started to think maybe he had bumped his head (still thinking he had fallen), he didn't really answer, but again I didn't see any evidence of a bump on the head. I carried him to his room and tried to get him to tell or show me what had happened, but he seemd to just want to sleep. I let him sleep (carefully watching him) for about a half hour and then he got up and asked about his breakfast. He ate breakfast and since he seemed to be ok I started to get him dressed for school (for which he was already late), but he cried out in pain again when standing to put his pants on. I tried to get him to tell me where it hurt, but couldn't get a specific body part identified.

I decided to keep him home and observe for a little while. I went to take a shower and let him watch TV on our bed so he'd be close by. He climbed up on our high bed without a problem, which I viewed as a good sign. After getting out of the shower I talked about what we were going to do today (mainly I needed to feed my friend's cat) and he was excited about this.

After getting myself dressed and the diaperbag packed I told him that he needed to go potty before we left. He walked into the bathroom, pulled down his pants, sat on the potty and peed...all without any apparent problems. I came in and as he stood up he complained again that it hurt...he was very visibly in a lot of pain and was saying "that's not right, that's wrong". I tried, yet again, to get a specific answer about where it hurt without success.

At this point (it's only been 2.5 hours after waking up) I call the doctor's office to take him in. I get an appointment for approximately an hour later. DS brings up feeding my friend's cat and wants to go do that so since her place is close by we do they before going to the doctor. He doesn't complaing of any pain in the carseat, but refuses to walk when we get there. She lives in a big apartment complex so a couple of times I had to put him down to use my hands to unlock the door, etc. He was ok for a few seconds (maybe 30 - 60 max) and would then beg to be picked up again.

DS walks from the car to the doctor's office (parking is right out front) cautiously, but without complaint. We see the doctor and I tell him what's going on. Dr examines DS but, like me, can't find any evidence of injury. Dr moves his legs and feet around - no complaint of pain. Exam of abdomen was normal. DS did complain when Dr was examining scrotum but that's pretty typical anyway so it's hard to know if that was the ordinary doesn't like anyone touching the family jewels complaint or evidence that that's where the problem is. Dr's exam of the penis and scrotum didn't feel abnormal. DS walked a bit for Dr...cautiously...but the Dr really couldn't tell where the pain was comig from based on how DS was walking.

Basically the Dr said he was perplexed (me too) and that, since there wasn't anything obvious from the exam, he wanted to wait and see. I am supposed to call him in the morning to give him an update and we'll go from there - possibly blood tests and/or x-rays. He hopes that by the time he wakes up tomorrow it'll have resolved.

After the doctor's appointment we went to lunch with my mom (who was with us because originally we had planned an afternoon at the zoo). DS continued to refuse to walk complainig that it hurt or "wasn't right" if he had to stand/walk for more than a few seconds.

We brought him home and he slept for about 2 hours straight (he rarely naps anymore). He just woke up a few minutes ago but hasn't gotten off the couch yet.

Let me say that I absolutely LOVE DS's doctor and totally agree with this approach given all the facts - I'm not posting with any complaint/disagreement with the doctor, just trying to see if anyone has ever experienced a similar situation and if so, what happened? Was it just "nothing" and went away, or did it turn out to be "something" and if so, what?

DS is not a complainer and he is most definitely in pain/discomfort but only when standing/walking. He is fine when sitting or laying down. Seems to be something associated with the pressure of walking/standing.

TIA

annasmom
10-18-2007, 06:46 PM
O.k., I am REALLY not an expert at all, but very, very long story short is that my dd had what is called toxic synovitis a few years ago after a bout with a virus. She had been sick, but I thought she was getting better. Then she just started refusing to walk. She would curl up on the floor in tears. Essentially, it is when the virus settles in the hip and causes some inflammation. Here is a link to some more information:

http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tphealth/0,,3q4w,00.html

Hopefully your ds will wake up perfectly normal tomorrow morning!

trumansmom
10-18-2007, 06:48 PM
Wow. We went through something strikingly similar when Truman was just about that exact same age. However, he didn't put his feet down all day. We literally had to carry him everywhere, and he asked for a stroller, even though he had refused to ride in one for over a year at that point.

He also was very vague about what hurt. At one point he said it was his knee. Later it was his hip. Then his other knee. He said, after we had asked repeatedly if he had fallen, that he had fallen on the playground the day before. There were no other signs that this had happened, and his daycare teacher didn't recall anything.

So, we took him to the doctor and she examined him, and because he was in so much pain, she did do x-rays and bloodwork. Everything came up negative. We sort of concluded that it was probably an emotional response to his friend Masyn's death, as we couldn't come up with any other reason.

The next morning he was fine. We still don't have a clue what it was about. I hope your DS bounces back as quickly.

Keep us posted, okay?

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04

trumansmom
10-18-2007, 06:53 PM
Okay, this is weird, but that also happened to Truman when he was about a year old. It was pretty straightforward though, and it was really, really, really obvious where the pain was, and that was before he could talk. If I remember correctly, it took him a few days to get over it. I think a lot of that was because it frightened him so much as a new walker that he was afraid to try again. :(

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04

annasmom
10-19-2007, 01:55 PM
Julie, How is he today?? I hope you get some answers soon!

julieakc
10-19-2007, 10:17 PM
Eileen:

Thanks for checking in. We've been gone all day so I haven't had a chance to come and update until now.

Ryan seems to be just fine today!:D Still no idea exactly what has going on, although the toxic synovitis you mentioned definitely seems like a possibility - the doctor had mentioned that (not by name, but exactly the same description) as a possibily...when I spoke to the doctor this morning to report that Ryan seemed ok he was doubtful that was it though since it had resolved so quickly.

I guess, as long as there's no recurrance, we'll never know what really happened, but he's a happy little boy today.

Wanted to say thanks to you and the others for your responses....it was comforting to read yesterday that others had experienced similar situations and it all ended fine...definitely made me sleep easier last night.

Melanie
10-19-2007, 10:18 PM
I'd take him to a chiropractor. Just like anyone else his back can get out of alignment and cause pain. One day Ds' school called me to come and get him b/c his 'waist hurt.' When I got there he was just sitting on the bench watching the other children play. I took him to the chiropractor immediately who said his pelvic bone was out of alignment. Once we got home he was playing just fine and enjoying the day.

www.icpa4kids.org lists pediatric-certified ones.

julieakc
10-19-2007, 10:41 PM
Melanie:

That's a very good point. Thanks for the link - I'm going to look for someone in our area.