Pediatric back pain
There are multiple reasons children may suffer from back pain, including muscle strain and more serious conditions.
What is pediatric back pain?
Muscle strain can cause back pain in children, or it could be a sign of a more serious condition.
What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric back pain?
If your child has muscle strain, the symptom will be pain, especially with movement.
More serious conditions that can cause back pain may involve the following symptoms:
Constant crying or complaining of pain
Numbness in the back, arms or legs
Pain that does not go away after several weeks of home treatment
Pain that does not go away after taking over-the-counter pain relief
Pain that wakes your child from sleep
Weakness in arms or legs
What are the causes of pediatric back pain?
The most common conditions that cause back pain in children include:
Infection in the disk space
Muscle strain injury
Scheuermann's kyphosis (rounded back)
Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra)
Tumor on the spine
Spondylolysis (defect of the joint between vertebrae)