Chiropractic Blog

Children & back pain – what you need to know

Traditionally, back pain in children has been considered as being due to a potentially serious condition until proved otherwise. However, it is now known that benign back pain, back pain not due to a serious condition,  in children and adolescents is more common than was once thought.

Epidemiology

• Nonspecific back pain in children is increasingly prevalent. It increases with age and is more common in girls than in boys.
• However, back pain is much less common than in adults, with fewer than 30% of children and adolescents reporting back pain and very few presenting to doctors with their pain.

So why is your child experiencing back pain?

Your child experiences physical stresses on their body every day. Prolonged car rides, poor posture (at school and home), heavy backpacks and small accidents while learning to ride a bike, ski or skate are just a few of the stresses that can cause a misalignment in your child’s spine.

Repetitive or prolonged postures such as those that are often assumed while sitting at a school, watching television or using the computer can impact a developing spine (not to mention an adult’s spine). These postures may not initially cause pain in your developing child, but when left unchecked, your child may start experiencing pain that will often be attributed to “growing pains”. It is important to remember that these aches are your child’s body’s attempt to communicate that something may be wrong, and they should never be dismissed without a thorough examination.

Red Flags

“Red flags” are consider signs & symptoms that may indicate a more serious cause for the pain. Chiropractors are trained to pick up on these red flags here are a few;

• night pain that prevents or disrupts sleep
• fever
• weight loss
• malaise/ fatigue or a general feeling of being sick
•  limp or altered gait.
•  Significant back tenderness,
•  bladder or bowel dysfunction

If no red flags are present then characterization of the pain, including the mechanism of onset, duration, and frequency, is essential to making accurate diagnoses. It is also important to identify necessary lifestyle changes that may need to be made, is your child carrying a back pack that it too heavy? Or spending to much time in front of the tv or playing video games? Changes to the activities that may be aggravating the condition is essential to treating the pain quickly &  effectively .

How can Chiropractors help?

Chiropractors help by making sure the joints in your child’s spine are not irritated and are positioned properly for optimal growth and function. Not only will this eliminate pain but it will also improve the function of your child’s nervous system!

For more information please contact Dr. Jen at Georgina Chiropractic 289-926-0026