Kids and teens are much more resilient and flexible and therefore do not suffer the same type of back injuries as adults do. Since children seldom suffer from back pain, they should be taken seriously when they do occur.
Back Pain Causes in Children and Teens
Young children are less like to put their spine under severe stress so symptoms of back pain are usually short-lived. However, when back pain persists without any injury/re-injury then a thorough examination might be needed to rule out an infection or tumor.
Unlike young children, older children have increased risk of injuries to the bones, nerves and tissues in the spine because they are more aggressive in their activities and sports. Compression fractures are more commonplace, then there’s the occasional disc injuries. Very rarely do the nerve roots become compromised in children of this age group.
It is not uncommon for adolescents to be diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine). However, it is very rare that adolescent scoliosis will cause back pain. In fact, it has not been found that people with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis are any more likely to develop back pain than the rest of the population.
As kids’ sports become more competitive, certain types of back injuries can arise. Spondylosis, a defect of the joint between vertebral bones, is commonly found in gymnasts who frequently hyperextend their backs. Gymnastics and weightlifting can overuse the bones of the spine, to the point that it causes stress fractures that may result in a slipped vertebra, which is referred to as Spondylolisthesis.
Kids and teens involved in extreme sports like skateboarding will frequently land very hard on their feet or buttocks. Either way, the force is transmitted to their vertebrae, which can result in sciatica, that causes buttock pain radiating down the back of one or both legs.
Back Pain From Backpacks
One form of injury in school-age children and teens has become more common: overuse injuries and back strain caused by carrying backpacks as heavy as 40% of the child’s body weight. Additionally, children and teens often carry their backpacks over one shoulder, causing an uneven load on the spine.
Is your child suffering from back pain?
Majority of back pain problems in children are related to soft tissue damage — muscles, ligaments and tendons — which is often caused by overuse or strain, but whatever the cause, a careful process of elimination of medically more significant causes of back pain such as tumor, infection or fracture should always precede any therapeutic plan for treating back pain in kids and teens.
Chiropractors are well trained to diagnose and treat back problems — or refer patients who require treatments beyond the scope of chiropractic care, to the appropriate specialists.
Schedule a no-charge consultation. Call 845-342-2225 today.