Chiro-practical

Do Kids Really Get Low Back Pain?
Low back pain affects nearly every adult at least once in his or her life. For some it can be a chronic, ongoing problem that never seems to go away. But if you think it only affects adults, think again. It’s also a problem in kids. There’s been some very interesting research released regarding the prevalence of low back pain in kids.

A recent study at the University of Pittsburgh examined and assessed the prevalence of low back pain in 1,242 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17. Thirty percent of those between ages 11 and 14 experienced low back pain. By age 15, that number jumped to 36 percent.

Low back pain was determined to be the third most common form of pain in school children. This was reported by a group of researchers in Finland. The study consisted of more than 1,500 14-year-olds. In this study, 30 percent of the children experienced at least one episode of low back pain severe enough to interfere with schoolwork or other activities in the previous year. Through that time, 35 percent of those children had recurrent or long-term episodes of low back pain, and 8 percent were classified as having chronic low back pain.

A recent survey by several Canadian chiropractors was performed to determine the effectiveness in the role of chiropractic and reduction of low back pain in children. There was a report of 61 percent of the children between ages four and 18 having acute low back pain, and 24 percent reported persistent low back pain at the onset of the study. The children received chiropractic adjustments for six weeks, and the study was determined a success. Improvement was reported in 62 percent of the children that experienced low back pain.

There are some great tips to decrease your child’s chances of getting low back pain. Schedule regular chiropractic checkups for your kids to identify and correct vertebral subluxation before symptoms start. Feed your family a nutritious, low-fat diet with normal—not excessive—portions. Many studies have indicated low back pain is increased in adolescents who have difficulties controlling their weight.

The question commonly asked is what can be done if my child has low back pain? Vertebral subluxations, misalignments of the spine, can start a long time before any symptoms are seen. This is usually the beginning of low back weakness and low back pain. A great way to decrease the chances of future low back pain is by having your child’s spine checked regularly for misalignments.

Many problems during growth, such as a decrease in proper lumbar curve and scoliosis, can lead to low back pain. If your child already has low back pain, there’s a need for this to be evaluated. There could be other problems besides vertebral subluxations, and only a trained professional can determine the true cause of the problem. If your child suffers from any type of low back discomfort or low back pain, have them checked by a chiropractor immediately. TPW