Under-18s are not immune to back pain. About a third of children experience neck and back pain, with about a quarter of those enduring two or three episodes yearly. The school years involve carrying heavy books and equipment in backpacks, sitting at desks for hours and bending over screens – no wonder the young have trouble with backs and necks. Of course, their ‘juicy’ spinal discs and elastic muscles tend to get them better fast but unfortunately back issues do get worse in late adolescence and young adulthood. And as we know, chronic back pain affects mental as well as physical health.
Understanding the Psychological Impact of Back Pain on Children
The main concern of young people identified in a recent study was ‘gaining confidence in their daily lives through pain-free movement’. This finding highlights how important it is for adolescents and children to build their self-esteem and independence by participating in all school activities to learn new physical and social skills. It’s also of primary importance not to lose precious school time through back-related pain. So how can you help your child if they’re affected by back or neck issues, and what approaches work best for this age group?
How to Choose the Right Treatment Options
Studies show that a ‘combined’ approach to treatment (such as we use here at Sundial Clinics) produces the best outcomes. Results were compared across various methods of back care. Some children, who were given only a personal exercise programme, reported improvements in pain but the children who had the best results were those who not only undertook exercise but also stuck to a chiropractic treatment plan (i.e. spinal manipulation) and received education on back care.
How to Help Your Child Manage Back Pain: Tips for Parents
Combining these three methods produces the biggest improvements in back pain and can therefore really help to improve your child’s mood. Making a plan to deal with back issues will support your child mentally as well as physically, helping to free them from anxiety about their pain and enhance their self confidence. We recommend that you take action now.
- Encourage your child to maintain the home exercise programme.
- Help your child to understand advice and information about back care.
- Book in for an appointment at Sundial to get to the root of the problem.
- Keep to the treatment plan recommended by your chiropractor.
Alongside Sundial’s evidence-based, personal approach to back care, it’s worth helping your child with some practical help at home. Getting the best kind of backpack, being aware of ‘Tech Neck’ advice and setting up a good ergonomic homework environment are really important.
Book in for an appointment here to help your child feel better fast.