How to Treat Back Pain in Children?

Though back pain in children is not a common problem, it can make your child and also you sleepless. The incidence of back pain in children is not known. However its incidence increases with age.

Back pain in children is unlike back pain in adults. A child with a backache may suffer more than an adult. If the child is 4 years old or younger, back pain causes serious problems. Here we discuss the causes and cures for back pain in children.

Signs and Symptoms of Back Pain in Children

• no possibility of trauma or overuse
• arthritis and joint pain
• activity level of the child comes down and the child tires easily
• the child awakens from sleep due to pain
• no improvement with simple analgesics
• pain changes with changes in child's position
• fever
• appetite changes
• loss of bowel or bladder control
• gait problems
• motor weakness

Causes of Back Pain in Children

Sport's injuries: Sports injuries are a common cause of back pain in children. A minor fall or other injury can cause a muscle pull or ligament strain.

Spondylolysis: In case of almost 5% of children this is the cause of back pain. A defect in the lower vertebra of the spinal column causes this problem.

Disk herniation: A herniated disk may cause back pain, It also can cause numbness or weakness.

Diskitis: It is an infection of the disk space causing back pain and muscle spasms in the back.

Pyelonephritis: It is a kidney infection causing back or flank pain. It causes a sharp pain on one side of the child's back.

Apart from the above causes of back pain include: tumors or neoplasms, arthritis, trauma and other infections like osteomyelitis.

Diagnosis of Back Pain

Generally back pain results from nerves, bones or muscles in and around the bony confines of the vertebral canal. Your physician finds out the causes and possible remedies and treatments after a thorough physical examination. The physician will also study the health history of the child to know the roots of the problem. A prompt diagnosis plays an important role in successfully treating the problem.

Treatment Options to Cure Back Pain in Children

After studying the history and physical examination, the physician may recommend tests like x-rays, CT scans, MRI, or a radioisotope bone scan. What treatment should be done depends on the cause of the back pain. In case of overuse injury or development abnormality, stopping physical activity with simple analgesics is enough to treat the problem.

Bracing or surgical intervention work well for more advanced problems. In case of back pain caused by infections, antibiotics can cure the problem. For malignant problems, removal of a tumor and radiation and/or chemotherapy work better. Regardless of the cause, pain reliever works well in most cases.

Simple analgesics are effective in most of the cases. But additional therapies may be required in case of specific patients. Prolonged use of opioids is not advised in case of chronic back pain because of the potential for dependency. However, short-term use of oral opioids or even intravenous opioids is required until the diagnosis gets over and appropriate therapies are initiated.