Lower Back Pain – What is Lower Back Pain in Children? | Childhood Lower Back Pain Problems | Child and Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is rather common amongst people; especially over time as we age.Typically when you think of back pain you do not first think of children. You generally think of adults who are growing old and have rigorous jobs constantly forcing them to use their back. However, there are a number of causes for a child with low back pain to develop.
Persistent low-back pain in children that is not associated with trauma and is not relieved by two to three weeks of rest, modification of activity, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication is uncommon. If a child has persistent, unremitting low-back pain, a serious underlying pathological cause should be suspected and appropriately investigated and a thorough evaluation, including the recording of a medical history, clinical examination, and radiography, should be performed.
The purpose of the current report is to describe our findings in two patients, who were eight and thirteen years of age when they presented with pain in the low lumbar area secondary to a lesion in the sacrum. These two unusual cases highlight the importance of a careful clinical examination and imaging of the sacrum in the evaluation of low-back pain in children.
In years past, low back pain was thought to be a malady afflicting only the elderly. Well, it’s not just your granddad’s disorder any longer. Once considered a rare pediatric condition, low back pain in children has become a growing concern among many in the medical community.
Children’s skeletal structures are in a continual growth state until late adolescence. Combined with the stress of sports activities including contact sports, the incidence of low back pain in children is skyrocketing. In a recent study, it was determined that low back pain was responsible for approximately 23% of most school absenteeism, and when sports injuries were thrown into the mix, that number jumped to 29%. Even more surprising, researchers discovered that in 75% of reported cases, childhood low back pain triggered depression and other psychological problems. This constitutes a serious concern that demands the attention of parents and health care providers alike.
The more years children spend in competitive sports, the greater their risk of suffering back pain becomes. The pain is also reported to be more serious and debilitating among these students, the study found.
It is, however, unclear whether the training techniques, or certain postures and motions adopted in particular sports lead to the higher risk of low back pain in these individuals.
Scientists urged teenagers to play and exercise more regularly despite the findings of this study, stressing that too much TV time and inactivity can also place kids at risk of lower back pain.
Spinal infections happen in children and adults commonly caused by bacteria or fungus which affects the bones and the soft tissues in the spine.
On a more serious note, doctors are always looking out for infections of this spine in children. An infection on the spine can be rather serious which is precisely why a prompt diagnosis is of utmost importance. Typically the child will have signs of inflammation like swelling and redness that is present along with the back pain.
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