Is this just growing pains or is something more serious?

Growing pains or Something More?

• About three weeks ago my middle school started track. I made the team, like last year, and we now falling into our second week of practice. The first week went smoothly, with just the pain of getting into shape. It wasn't until that weekend that I really started to notice something. That saturday i hadn't been doing much. I stayed around the house and helped my mom clean, but around 5 or 6 I started to notice this awful pain in my ankles. It wasn't a sharp pain, but I ache. It was absolutely painful. Of course, the first thing I did was check for bruising, because it had felt like I had deep bruises on my ankles that were constantly being poked. There was no bruising, but my ankle did hurt to touch it. Like I said, when I touched it, it felt like I was poking a bruise. This continued saturday through today. During the day it wasn't that bad, but around 6 it really hit me. Yesterday, at the end of practice, I told my coach that I was having this horrible pain that was aching in my ankles. He said that there was a growth plate in my ankle and that it was probably growing pains. That night, I went home and drenched it in Icy Hot. As it got toward when I was going to actually go to sleep, I noticed I was getting pains in the back of my legs, were I usually get growing pains. I didn't sleep well that night. Today, toward the middle of track practice, I watching girls run hurdles, when I got the WORST feeling in my ankles. It felt so achy and all I wanted to do was get off my feet. I even looked up on the internet 'growing pains in the ankles' today and it told me that kids between 8-12 that are starting to hit puberty get these pains. Im 13 and I started my period 9 months ago. I really need your help. Not just to tell me if this is growing pains or something more, but to also tell me how to treat these pains and make them go away faster. Please and thank you. (:

• Answer:

  Not really sure what that could be, it maybe a growing pain, but you might of bruised the bone (bruised bone is harder to see as its under all the flesh). but whatever it is, it sounds like its better off keeping you're weight off it. when you come back from school, try icing it or try lie on the sofa or bed, have you're feet above the level of you're heart. It might be the lactic acid gathered around in that area from sudden changes in you're daily routine? give it a try for 2/3days and if its still there then check out with you're parent and maybe go get checked out ;) good luck!