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Back and Neck Pain in Children
How does the spine work?
The spine is one of the strongest parts of the body. It is made up of lots of bones, called vertebrae, stacked on top of each other. This gives our spine the flexibility to move.
The vertebrae are held together by strong muscles and ligaments, providing our spine with lots of stability. Small discs sit between each vertebrae, acting as shock absorbers.
The spine also forms a protective tunnel for the spinal cord, system of nerves which carry important messages between the brain and the rest of our body.
In most cases, back and neck pain starts to improve within a few days or weeks. However, you should seek medical advice if your child’s pain is not improving with the self help advice below.
You should contact your GP for urgent review if your child has back or neck pain and also has any of the following symptoms:
- Regularly wakes in the middle of the night due to their pain
- Has pain or stiffness that is worse for an hour or more on waking in the morning
- Is generally unwell or has a fever
- Has unexplained weight loss
- New headaches, nausea or vomiting
- The curves of your child’s spine look different
In very rare cases, spinal problems require immediate medical attention. If your child has any of the symptoms below, you should urgently call 111 or your GP who will triage if your child needs urgent care:
- Loss of feeling or pins and needles between the inner thighs or genitals
- Altered sensation and/or pain consistently in both legs at the same time
- Numbness in or around their back passage or buttocks
- Changes to bladder or bowel function
- Child holds head to one side
- Sudden onset of pain following trauma or sporting activity.
Causes of Neck and Back Pain
Self Help
Pain Treatments
Causes of Neck and Back Pain
Although pain in the neck or back is not as common in children as adults, it is more common than previously thought, particularly among older children and teenagers. Most of the time there is a very simple explanation for back and neck pain.
Sometimes pain in the neck or back may occur after a known injury. Other times it may come on gradually.
Often back or neck pain may be related to a change in activity levels or loading of the spine. Back or neck pain can be more common if your child trains very frequently in certain sports involving repetitive movements of the spine, such as gymnastics or bowling in cricket.
For further information see our page on ‘Preventing Sport Injuries’.
Self Help
Keeping active is an essential part of your child’s treatment and recovery and is the single best thing they can do for their health.
For some conditions, certain activities may need to be avoided during particular stages of the healing process. A Physiotherapist will give you specific advice for your child if this is the case.
Being physically active throughout your recovery can:
- Prevent the problem happening again
- Maintain your child’s current levels of fitness – even if you have to modify what they normally do, any activity is better than none
- Keep your child’s other muscles and joints strong and flexible
- Keep your child at a healthy body weight
- Encourage your child’s ongoing development of important motor skills
- Reassurance and encouragement is very important to give your child the confidence to get better. This can be difficult to do for a parent, particularly if you, or someone you know, has had back pain leading to a poor outcome. Positive encouragement can make a real difference in recovery time and from any future episodes.
It’s recommended your child stays at or returns to school as quickly as possible during their recovery. Your child’s Physiotherapist can work with you and your child’s school to help support your child’s physical needs if required.
Pain Treatments
Pain medication can help to reduce pain and help your child to move more comfortably which can aid their recovery.
See NHS guidelines on pain relief.
You can also seek advice from your local pharmacy.
For further advice and guidance see click here.
Or call Dolphin Physiotherapy Outpatients on 029 218 47577
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital of Wales
Heath Park
Cardiff
CF14 4XW
