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Back pain is typically associated with aging; in fact, people are most likely to suffer back pain after the age of 60 due to age-related deterioration of joints in the lumbar spine. However, in recent years, back pain has become a problem for children and teenagers as well. A study presented at the 2019 meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons indicated not only a rise in the number of children aged 10 to 18 who reported pain, but also a linear increase in pain with age.According to the study, which surveyed 3,669 adolescents from age 10 to 18, more than a third of respondents reported that they had suffered back pain in the previous year. The study also found that the children became more susceptible to back pain as they got older at a rate of about 4% with each year of age. Other research suggests that experiencing back pain as a teenager predisposes a person to have back pain as an adult.
In the past, childhood back pain was frequently dismissed by doctors and parents alike as a "growing pain." The latest research, however, makes it clear that it is time to take children's complaints of pain seriously.
Orthopedists cite several common causes of juvenile back pain. Pain is most often the result of an injury to a muscle, tendon, ligament, or bone. Junior-varsity and varsity athletes and dancers have the highest risk of suffering pain due to an overuse injury. However, injuries may also result from lack of exercise, weak core muscles, excess weight, and poor posture.
Where posture is concerned, cell phone use can cause teens to hunch their backs and curve their necks, causing strain on the upper spine. In fact, spending too much time looking down at a phone can lead to a condition known as "text neck," with symptoms ranging from upper back pain, muscle spasms, shoulder pain, and radiating pain from a pinched cervical nerve. Doctors recommend that teenagers use their phone on a stand when sitting at a desk to help improve their posture at least some of the time.
Pain can also result from an underlying condition, such as scoliosis or spondylolysis. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine most often diagnosed in the teen years. Back braces and supports are typically prescribed to keep the condition from getting worse. Spondylolysis is a defect in a small portion of bone that connects joints in the spine, and it is also treated with braces that provide support for back pain.
Parents tend to lay the blame for back pain on students' backpacks, which are heavier than ever with the books and tech devices students carry to and from school. If a child is already suffering back pain, hoisting a heavy backpack may indeed make him or her feel worse. However, research has yet to demonstrate a clear causal link between carrying a heavy backpack and experiencing back pain. Nonetheless, doctors recommend backpacks with two shoulder straps worn over both shoulders, as they seem to be the most comfortable style.
According to orthopedic specialists, parents can reduce their children's risk of developing back pain by encouraging exercise, making sure they get plenty of rest, and providing a nutritious diet that will help children maintain a healthy weight. In addition, parents of athletes should make sure that sports-related injuries are diagnosed quickly. It's important that injured athletes have time to heal before returning to the field.
Contact Info:
Name: Jeremy Gesicki
Email: Send Email
Organization: Mueller Sports Medicine
Website: https://www.muellersportsmed.com
Release ID: 88918830
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