Chiropractic practices say that back pain does not affect adults the way that it does children. As compared to an adult a child who complains of backaches probably suffers from a disorder. This should be cause for alarm especially if the child in question is aged below 4 years and exhibits the following symptoms along with the condition –

• Pain that radiates down both legs
• Weight loss or fever
• Bladder or bowel issues
• Pain makes sleep impossible
• Trouble walking
• Weakness or numbness

Symptoms that accompany back pain in a child such as these should be identified early and treated before they become serious especially if the pain worsens over time.

Consulting the Doctor

Your doctor or chiropractor will probably ask general questions about your child’s health and the pain he feels. The aim of the diagnosis is to help the medical specialist determine the cause of the back pain before he prescribes the appropriate treatments. For instance the specialist may ask if there is anything that worsens the child’s condition and what he/she does to relieve the pain. Your doctor or chiropractic specialist will need to know how much the pain affects the child’s daily activities, how severe it is and where the discomfort is at its worst. For example, the doctor may determine that a nerve has been pinched if the back pain also escalates up the child’s leg. Other diagnostic measure may include –

The Spine

The chiropractic specialist may feel your child’s vertebrae to uncover the source of the pain. This will also help him find any deformities in the spine. For instance increased roundness in the back could be the cause. The doctor might also ask the child to perform certain actions. This may involve checking the posture, walking gait, assessing the child’s ability to bend on either side or touching the toes. If the child finds any of these activities difficult to do the problem may lie in the joints of the spine.

Muscles

The chiropractic specialist may also check the muscles in the back and legs. Any tenderness may indicate a strain and a possible cause for the back pain. It is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to back pain in children especially since their bodies are young and agile. In other words a child shouldn’t be suffering from back pain at all.

The risks involved in spinal surgery cannot be completely ruled out. The outcome of a lot of surgeries actually results in worsening the pain; that sometimes remains with the individual for the rest of their lives. Chiropractic practice recommends treatments and procedures that are far less intrusive and are becoming popular by each passing day.

Despite advances in the medical field, treatment of spinal issues has remained, at best, a mystery. In the US alone, more than a quarter of a million people have spinal surgeries performed on them each year. While some are successful, statistics show that around 80,000 people end up with what medical practitioners call a failed back surgery syndrome.

This syndrome results as a result of re-current disc herniation, misdiagnosis, incorrectly performed surgery or scar-tissue formation. Increased pain that is difficult sometimes becomes impossible to treat and people have no option but to endure the life-long pain that causes disability for the rest of their lives.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI is popularly used to diagnose back-related problems. Diseases such as lumbar disc herniation or evidence of nerve root compression can lead patients to believe surgery is the only option for them, leaving them no choice but to submit to their doctor’s proposal.

A study found that over 57% of MRI findings were abnormal and caused the people to be wrongly diagnosed. These findings have leg chiropractors to believe that the relationship between lumbar disc herniation and back pain is not just a result of a pinched-nerve root. Surprisingly, it is more related to inflammation of the nerve roots around the herniated disc, and sometimes a combined result of inflammation and mechanical compression around this region.

Treatment

The primary aim of the treatment is to suppress the inflammation that would in turn reduce the pain – rather than just remove the herniated disc.

Medications

The first line of action is to offer anti-inflammatory medicines to patients with a mild back pain. Anti-depressants are often also prescribed to patients with a chronic back pain.

Therapy

Physical therapy, massage and chiropractic care methods are commonly used to treat back problems instead of spinal surgery. Chiropractic therapy greatly reduces the pain.

Change in Lifestyle

A change in lifestyle can have great effects in reducing the pain. Smoking increases the risk of getting a low back pain, whereas obesity gives birth to many problems such as diabetes and heart problems. A chiropractor can best recommend what changes to bring to a lifestyle which will be in the best interest of a patient.