Quite often, adults make up the significant age group with varying degrees of back pain complaints. However, it occurs among children too. Usually, when that happens, you may brush it off as a day of intense play causing the muscles to react. It could be true, but what happens when your kid regularly complains of back pain? Considering that one-third of children in America live with this condition, this can be pretty worrying and worth paying attention to.
- It could be an infection
Because children have developing immune systems, they are more prone to a series of infections within a short period. The surprising bit about some of these infections is their potential to attack the spine. Upon a visit to the pediatrician, the diagnosis may be a localized inflammation that can be attended to without an invasive procedure. Usually, when the infection clears up, the back pains disappear altogether.
In a worst-case scenario, when the infection persists, the specialist may request further lab testing and imaging for investigations. Especially with imaging, it is possible to detect anything missed the first time around. This is why when a child regularly complains of back pains, and you have a responsibility to act quickly before things get out of hand.
- Spinal misalignment from birth
According to WebMD, about 30% of babies born in the United States have various degrees of spinal deformities. If it is a mild one, it can remain undetected until the adolescence period. This is a widespread occurrence if scoliosis is the culprit. Although there is no evidence to prove why 80% of scoliosis cases begin in childhood, there are medical speculations. Spine specialists believe that the sudden surge in growth hormones may contribute partly to it.
In treating spinal misalignment among kids, the doctor has to make specific considerations. For example, if the misalignment or sideways curvature is 10 degrees and slightly above it, a brace can help. You may want to try out skilled chiropractors with years of experience under their belt. Indeed, with the right Chiropractor, your child can experience permanent relief. Unless the final medical recommendation is surgery, there are successful therapy methods to resolve your kid’s back pain situation.
- An underlying stress fracture
This is pretty common among child athletes or highly active kids who aren’t necessarily engaged in any sport. These fractures tend to occur after sudden impact or overstretching of the back muscles. The latter can lead to a disc slip which may be responsible for the pains your child is experiencing. This type of pain is sharp and radiates to both sides of the back.
According to statistics, children between 10 and 16 years are commonly diagnosed with stress fractures. Treatment requires a combination of oral medication, physical therapy, and sometimes, steroid injections to alleviate the pain. The thing is, you never know which treatment plan would be prescribed by the specialist. Therefore, try to avoid unorthodox methods which can aggravate the condition.
With kids, you can never be too sure about the cause and severity of their back pains until they get checked out by a specialist. Indeed, research has proven that certain types of spine degeneration can be inherited. This explains why back pain tends to run in families. It is better to seek answers for your kids now than later.