Growing pains in tween?

[madteaparty]

How do they present? DH had juvenile RA and it’s always in the back of my head that DD might have inherited it. She saw a specialist at Hospital for Special surgery in NYC when much younger and didn’t have any signs of it then, but we were also told it meant nothing one way or the other. She’s complaining of joint pain now (knee/ fingers/ hip) so I’m back to wondering. She’s around the same age DH was diagnosed…

[prairiewindmomma]

Growing pains tend to be legs not fingers. For my kids it was primarily hips and knees. 

I understand the concern. Finger pain + genetic inheritance would have me seeking baseline bloodwork of a crp and sed rate and such….especially if you are seeing bilateral joint involvement, fingers or toe involvement, and morning stiffness that eases.

I am sorry. 

[Katy]

I would ask the pediatrician’s nurse if they can do the basic workup or if you need a referral to a rheumatologist. The real decision about that is probably up to your insurance company. IME those referrals take many months. 

[City Mouse]

My DS had issues with his hands in middle school and did a stint of PT/OT for it. He was growing through a huge rapid growth spirt, and the therapist explained that his bones were growing faster than the muscles and tendons causing his pain. As his growth slowed down and his muscles caught up the pain eventually went away.