Leg pains, joint pains, and body aches are common symptoms of gluten sensitivity. It took me 44 years to figure this out. I remember complaining to my mom when I was young about my legs. They ached terribly and sometimes just wouldn’t work. Mom responded with a sympathetic smile and blamed it on typical growing pains.
Decades later I was faced with the same persistent complaint from my daughter as she climbed up the ladder to her loft. I told her confidently the same thing my mom had said years ago...it was growing pains. I didn’t make the connection to gluten until we were diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and possible celiac disease.
Over the years I had battled chronic tendonitis in my arms which was exacerbated by repetitive use. I took loads of anti-inflammatory drugs, did physical therapy with years of icing, changed careers, and yet the pain was still always with me. I would drop drinking glasses without warning...my hands just wouldn’t work. When my daughter was born, my forearms were at their worst. She only weighed a little over 5 pounds, but the new physical routine of caring for an infant was excruciating.
A few years ago I took a jazzercise class three times a week and was constantly sore. I just assumed I was a wimp and that it was normal. But my body aches were all over and made me wince and limp as I walked. I wasn't that out of shape! It was difficult to raise my arms to get dressed without pain.
Lo and behold, a few months after I stopped eating gluten, all of my body aches stopped! I now live a life without leg, joint, and body aches. I happily exercise, garden, and type without pain. My daughter doesn't complain of leg aches anymore either. How wonderful for her to discover this so early in life. Good years ahead!