Chiropractic Care for Low Back Pain in Children

At one point, it was thought that low back pain affects only adults or elderly people. More children are starting to be diagnosed with the condition. In addition, low back pain was considered a rare condition for children. Many pediatric professionals are becoming concern about how the condition is affecting children.

The skeletal structure in children continues to develop until late adolescence. Cases of children with low back pain are rising because of sports activities and contact sports. In addition, a study revealed that 23% of school absents were related to low back pain. Also, 29% of students were absent from school because of sports injuries. As well as, researchers discovered that 75% of cases involving children with low back pain were associated with the conditions triggering psychological and depression problems. In short, this is enough information to command the attention of health care providers and parents.

There are certain heath issues that cause low back pain in children and adults. Some of the health issues are misalignment of vertebrae, poor posture, trauma, sports injuries and emotional stress. Also, many school age children carry heavy backpacks. Usually, the backpack weighs 10 to 20% of the child’s body weight. This can cause back problems and long term health problems.

Adolescents experience a lot of mood swings and emotional stress can cause lower back pain. Many teenagers go through an emotional roller coaster when dealing with puberty. The mood swings can be exhilarating, terrifying and filled with excitement. Next, the teenager emotions will spiral downward. Some studies have suggested that the rollercoaster emotions are related to lower back pain. A study was done in England that suggests that children with high levels of social and psychological difficulties would be more likely to suffer from low back pain.

Vertebral subluxation is the misalignment of the spinal vertebrae. This is a condition that can be found in children and adults. It can be frightening for a parent or child to hear a doctor diagnose the child with vertebral subluxation. If the condition is left untreated then it can lead to headaches, earaches, and carpel tunnel syndrome and neck pain. However, a professional chiropractor can treat the condition with success and possibly cure the child of low back pain.