Low Back Pain In Children And Adolescents – Being Parents

Low back pain is more common in adolescents than in children. In adulthood, it is even more common. It is a symptom that many clinical pictures and diseases of all ages have in common. If we refer to the anatomy, the lumbar is a transition zone that supports a large part of the body’s weight.

Young children suffer less from low back pain. However, the incidence increases with age, as adolescents approach adulthood they experience lower back pain more frequently.

Causes of low back pain in children and adolescents

Work activities, daily stress and a lack of healthy habits are the most common causes of low back pain in adults. However, when it comes to children and adolescents, the suspicions are more related to congenital disorders, traumatic or secondary to certain direct or indirect trauma. In addition, there are other common causes of low back pain:

• After excessive effort : in these cases there is no serious injury. Low back pain tends to improve on its own, although it sometimes needs conservative treatment with physical therapy.
• Puberty : Some theories suggest the relationship between the onset of puberty and pain in the lower back. This shows the influence of hormonal changes on the locomotor system.
• Education : School backpacks, with a load exceeding 10% of the student’s body weight, are a significant risk factor for low back pain.
• Lack of physical care : Lack of physical activity, as well as excessive training and toxic habits like smoking can trigger low back pain.

• Posture : The way the child sits on the school bench is another extremely important factor. Indeed, it is a posture that is maintained for long periods during the years of schooling. Therefore, a bad sitting position is really a risk factor for the health of children and adolescents.
• Emotional factors : this is the case with states of stress or depression, for example. The body expresses emotional situations through postural attitudes, which can trigger low back pain.

How to prevent lower back pain?

The prevention of low back pain in children and adolescents covers different areas, among which, healthy eating habits are one of the first to consider. As well as conscientious physical activity, which includes abdominal strengthening to protect the spine.

Postural hygiene must be taught to parents who must then teach it to their children. So that activities of daily living and posture at school are carried out in a healthy way.

There are more and more prevention education programs that improve body awareness in children and adolescents. They include theoretical information and physical exercises that improve student health in the short and long term. These programs are coordinated by teachers in collaboration with health professionals.

Treatment of low back pain in children and adolescents

As with any health problem, treatment will depend on the cause and the clinical condition of each patient. In any case, we can roughly describe the conservative treatment that is carried out from physiotherapy for the treatment of low back pain in children and adolescents.

Pediatric physiotherapy includes self-education as well as preventive measures, such as postural hygiene. In addition, she uses physical agents, such as electroanalgesia, to reduce local pain. She also practices manual techniques. Which in addition to influencing the reduction of pain, act on the cause that produces low back pain. This is accompanied by therapeutic exercises. Some are done in session and others are indicated at home.

It is essential that caregivers accompany the child or adolescent, both in the session and in the activities indicated for the home. Physical and emotional support helps treatment to be more effective and better integrated, as well as encouragement to engage in recreational physical activity as another habit of daily living.

What can I do at home if my child has low back pain?

After seeing your pediatrician and ruling out the possibility of severe low back pain, you can help your child at home. The child or adolescent can lie on their stomach, with a pillow under the pubis. Using an essential oil or a soft cream, massage the lower back.

Massages should be performed with the whole hand in contact with the child’s skin. By avoiding pressing on the areas where the bones are most prominent, such as the spine. The goal is to “knead” the muscle area, with alternating movements between one hand and the other. Massages with local heat application can also be supplemented with hot or lukewarm compresses. However, you should keep in mind that these tips are not a substitute for professional treatment.

It is essential that parents know the importance of prevention in the developmental stages, in which the body is developing rapidly. And it is very easy to integrate habits, both healthy and unhealthy. So home schooling and shadowing can really make a difference.

Therefore, if your child suffers from lower back pain, a medical consultation should be performed beforehand. The pediatrician will determine whether medical treatment with analgesics will be necessary or whether it should be supplemented by physical therapy. Finally, if it is mild low back pain, without injuries or other complications, you can help it at home with gentle massages.