What Type of Dr to You See for Lower Back Pain in a Teen

Severe Back Pain in Teens Images

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Back pain in teens is common and could happen due to a pulled muscle, sprain, bruising of the back, or carrying a heavy backpack. Such pains usually subside within a week or two without any medical intervention. But back pain coupled with other symptoms could be an indication of an underlying condition.

In this post, MomJunction tells you about the common causes for back pain in teenagers, as well as some medical conditions that could have back pain as one of the symptoms. We also talk about the possible treatment options to alleviate this discomfort.

What Could Cause Back Pain In Teenagers?

If your teenager is complaining of back pain, observe the symptoms to know if it is due to a physical injury or an underlying medical condition. Sometimes, certain lifestyle changes or injuries may also cause lower back pain in teenagers. We have also included a few medical conditions that might cause back pain in the later section of the post.

Physical injuries: Usually, back pain in a teenager could be because of stress on the spine and surrounding structures resulting from over-exertion during athletic participation, training regimens, and carrying heavy backpacks (1) (2). The symptoms may include stiffness in the back area, pain in the middle, or lower back (3).

Poor posture: Sedentary lifestyle, such as sitting and lying down and watching TV or computer for prolonged hours, obesity, and stress, is one of the most common causes of back pain in teenagers.

Strenuous work: Taking up a new exercise regime or physically straining jobs, such as lifting heavy loads, bending, or stretching too far for a long time might strain and wear out the back muscles and result in back pain.

Acute spinal cord injury: This is an injury to the spinal cord that could have occurred when the spine or neck is bent or compressed during birth, a motor vehicle accident, sports injury, stab wound, etc.

Symptoms of acute spinal injury include.

Muscles weakness
Loss of movement in the legs
Bladder and bowel problems
Breathing problems (2)

Is Back Pain A Sign Of Puberty?

A study found that there is an increased incidence of back pain in teenage girls nearing puberty. This could be due to the physical changes, such as (4):

Increase in height and changes in body composition.

Increase in fat mass at the end of puberty, which might replace active muscle fibers.

Hormonal changes.

However, further research is needed to learn more about the association between puberty and back pain.

Treatment For Common Back Pain In Teenagers

Your child's doctor would recommend a treatment regimen based on the diagnosis, which involves a physical examination and, if necessary, an X-ray and CT scan.

In the case of spinal injuries, medical attention is required. Sometimes, surgery may be needed to correct the broken bones.

According to a study, physical therapy and manual therapy were found to be effective in treating lower back pain in children. However, certain limitations of the study prevented drawing a definitive conclusion (5).

Back pain due to sprains and bruises may subside after rest or activity modification.

Your child's doctor might prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs if there is unbearable pain and swelling.

Physical therapy programs might help in reducing back pain.

Hamstring and abdominal strengthening exercises might help in relieving persistent back pain.

Home Remedies For Back Pain In Teenagers

If your teenager has acute back pain without any additional symptoms, then some of these home remedies might help provide relief.

According to a Cochrane review, superficial hot and cold compress might provide short-term relief from lower back pain (6).

Menthol, which is the active ingredient in several topical pain-relieving creams, might help mask the pain for a short period by creating a cooling sensation. However, this does not treat the underlying cause (7).

Topical pain relievers that contain methyl salicylate are said to provide relief, but there is no research to prove their effectiveness. You may try this if your child does not have aspirin allergy and is older that 12 years (7). Salicylates should not be used in younger kids.

Topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as diclofenac, can be used for pain relief.

Check your teen's posture and correct it by showing them how to have a good posture.

Use chairs that can offer better back support.

Do not encourage your teen to spend hours playing video games and watching television; ask them to take a break and stretch after every hour.

If your teen exercises, then make sure they do it the right way.

When To Take Your Child To The Doctor

Take your child to a doctor if they complain of the below symptoms in addition to back pain.

There is a pain in the legs associated with numbness and weakness.

Persistent pain not relieved by rest.

Intermitted back pain that persists for more than four weeks.

They have other symptoms, such as fatigue and sleeplessness.

The pain is severe and interferes with their activities and sleep.

The back pain occurs at night, and your child wakes up in the middle of their sleep.

Bowel or bladder problems (8).

Pain associated with other symptoms such as weight loss, fever, night sweats.

If you notice any of the above symptoms, then back pain could be due to an underlying medical condition. Next, we list down a few possible medical conditions that might lead to back pain in teenagers.

Medical conditions that may cause back pain in teenagers

Here are a few medical conditions that might cause back pain in teenagers.

1. Spondylolysis

This condition is caused due to bone defects in the vertebrae of the spinal cord. Such defects can lead to the weakening of the bones and further cause the vertebrae to slip. This condition could be congenital or acquired (found mostly among athletes). The symptoms are mild and often unknown. If the symptoms do occur, they are most likely to appear during the growth spurt (9).

Low back pain that spreads across the area

Worsening of the pain during vigorous activity or exercise

This condition could be treated by making a few lifestyle changes, physiotherapy, braces, or surgery in rare cases.

2. Scheuermann's disease

Also known as Scheuermann's kyphosis, this is a condition where the spine would have a rounding posture, which could lead to a curvature of the spine. Although the exact causes for this condition are unknown, it is said to be hereditary and might develop in teenagers between the ages of 10-15 years. The symptoms include:

Difference in shoulder height
Tightness of muscles in the back of the thigh
Back pain.

This condition could be managed with physiotherapy, braces, or surgery in some severe cases (10).

3. Scoliosis

In this condition, the spine would be curved in the shape of an 'S' or 'C'. So, instead of growing straight, the spine would have a side-to-side curvature. The exact reason for this is unknown. Sometimes, genetics and environmental factors could play a role. This condition is found to be more prevalent in girls than in boys.
The symptoms include:

Some pain in the lower back
Unevenness in the shoulders, waist, and hips
One leg might appear longer than the other.

This condition could be treated using braces or surgery (11).

4. Juvenile fibromyalgia

This chronic pain condition mostly occurs in teenage girls. It causes pain in the muscles and soft tissues in the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, arms, and legs. If your child is showing any of the below symptoms along with back pain, it could be fibromyalgia. Although the exact cause is not known, some researchers say it could be due to genetics and environmental factors. The symptoms include:

Fatigue
Sleep difficulties
Headaches
Irritable bowel symptoms
Anxiety or depression

This condition needs to be managed as there is no treatment for it. Prescribed pain medications for chronic pain, physiotherapy, heat treatments, massage, and relaxation techniques might help (12).

5. Infections

Back pain could also be due to spinal infections. Though these are not common in children, spinal infections in children could be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Your child might have the following symptoms:

Chronic back pain
Weakness
Numbness
Bowel and bladder problems
Fever (13)
Weight loss
Night sweats

When diagnosed in time, these infections can be treated with antibiotic therapies and rest.

6. Tumors

Although not common, back pain could also be because of spinal tumors. A lack of symptoms could delay the diagnosis. The doctor may check for some clinical symptoms, such as:

Motor weakness
Muscle rigidity and spasm
Dull and aching back pain
Regular pain that occurs at night and disturbs the child's sleep (3).

X-ray imaging could be used for diagnosing the presence of a tumor. Based on the type of tumor, the doctor might opt for surgery, chemotherapy, and medications (14).

7. Kidney stones

The presence of kidney stones leads to a sharp pain in the back, side, and lower abdomen. Other symptoms include:

Pink, red-colored urine
Pain while urinating
Constant urge to urinate
Inconsistency in the flow of urine
Cloudy or foul smell in urine
Irritability

Treatment depends on the size and number of stones.

If the stones are small, drinking plenty of water might help the child to pass them in the urine.

Larger stones are removed by breaking them into smaller pieces using shock wave therapy, cystoscopy, and surgery (15).

Can You Prevent Back Pain In Teenagers?

Prevention depends on the reason behind the pain.

If the back pain is the result of strain, then teach your teens the right way to exercise and lift heavy objects.

Drinking plenty of water might prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Making them practice the right posture from an early age may also help prevent back pain.

Make sure your teenager is sitting in a chair that has good back support.

Backpacks should not be overloaded and should be worn on both shoulders. Also, the backpack should be made of sturdy material that supports both the shoulders equally.

Encourage them to use protective gear whenever they are trying a new sport or a new exercise regime.

Back pain in teenagers is common, but it could cause discomfort and limit the movement of the child. Try some home remedies if your teen is suffering from back pain due to exertion or some external reason. But, if the pain is accompanied by an injury or other symptoms, then seek professional medical advice.

Do you have some tips to avoid or treat back pain in teenagers? Let us know in the comments section below.

References:

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

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