Why does my child have leg pain or trouble walking after a fever?
Leg pain or difficulty walking in children after a fever can sometimes be caused by a condition called benign acute myositis. This condition occurs when muscle inflammation, usually in the calves, develops after a viral infection such as the flu or a respiratory illness.
The symptoms can appear suddenly, and your child may have trouble walking or complain of severe pain in their legs, especially the calves. Both legs are usually affected. Symptoms usually start within a few days of initial recovery from a viral illness.
Although these symptoms can be alarming, benign acute myositis typically resolves on its own within a few days. The exact cause isn’t always clear, but it may be related to the body’s immune response to the virus. Treatment usually consists of rest and pain medications.
When to seek medical attention
If your child’s symptoms persist for more than a few days, worsen, or are accompanied by a high fever or other unusual symptoms, you should contact your doctor. In rare cases, muscle pain after a fever may be related to other more serious conditions.
References
Elagami, M. M., et. al. 2021. An Unusual Presentation of Influenza-Induced Myositis. In: Cureus. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7759%2Fcureus.13196
Magee, H., et. al. 2017. Viral myositis in children. In: Canadian Family Physician. Accessed September 16, 2024 at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5429052/
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