Joint pain or muscle pain in children

When to seek medical advice

Consult your child's doctor if your child has joint pain or muscle pain that is persistent or is accompanied by:

Limping or impaired activity
Persistent decreased energy or fatigue
Swollen glands (lymph nodes) in the neck, groin or underarms
Swelling or stiffness
Persistent fever or fever with no clear cause
Rash
Abdominal pain
Unexplained weight loss

Find possible causes of joint pain or muscle pain based on specific factors. Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your child's symptom.

Walls RM, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 30, 2017.
Palmer J, et al. Abdominal pain mimics. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2016;34:409.
UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed Oct. 30, 2017.
Zeiter D. Abdominal pain in children. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2017;64:525.
Palmer J, et al. Abdominal pain mimics. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2016;34:409.
Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 30, 2017.
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Muncie HL, et al. Dizziness: Approach to evaluation and management. American Family Physician. 2017;95:154.
American College of Emergency Physicians. https://www.acep.org. Accessed Nov. 11, 2017.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov. Accessed Nov. 11, 2017.
Schmitt BD. Fever. In: Pediatric Telephone Protocols: Office Version 15th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2015.
Mannenbach MS (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 14, 2017.
Goyal DG (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 14, 2017.
Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 28, 2017.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Petty RE, et al., eds. Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Elsevier Point of Care. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Kasper DL, et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 19th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education; 2015. http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Wein AJ, et al., eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com.. Accessed Dec. 2, 2017.
National Eye Institute. https://nei.nih.gov. Accessed Dec. 5, 2017.
Wilkinson JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 8, 2017.

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