Is this just growing pains or is something more serious?

Growing pains or something else?

• So im an 18 yr old male and im 5' 11''. i peaked really early and i was around 5' 10'' when i was 14, so i really havent grown much since. my parents are both 5' 7''. i never really had growing pains before...sometimes when i was younger my joints would feel numb and they would shake a little (mostly in my arms), but it only would happen for a few hours of so. so last night, i felt weird (for lack of a better way to descibe it). it was around 2 am and i still couldnt sleep when i started to feel a numbing pain in the back of my right knee. it began to spread across a longer area and then i started feeling it in my left leg as well. my legs (mainly the back of my legs from my high calve to lower hamstring) felt a little odd this morning, but things got better as the day went on. now its the early evening and im starting to feel them again.. i just wanted to get an opinion b/c im not sure if growing pains are a real thing or my legs are just screwed up

• Answer:

  I would say see a doctor, just to make sure. A recurring pain in the joints for a mature male of 18 could easily be a sign of a problem, but only a medical examination can say for sure. Young men are famous for delaying medical help, probably because of a combination of minimizing discomfort according to the masculine approved role, and an attitude of "ignore it and maybe it will go away". The best time to investigate is now, while the symptom is fresh and clear, and where any damage it indicates is probably not irreversible.