There are many causes of back pain in children. Doctors at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, investigated the relationship between low back pain in children and psychosocial stress.
They found 1046 children, ages 11 to 14 years, who, at the beginning of the study, had no back pain. The children attended 39 different schools in Northwest England. The children were followed one year to see which developed lower back pain.
They found that children who reported high levels of psychosocial stress were 1.5 times more likely to develop lower back pain than children who had normal levels of stress. The children with high levels of stress were 2.5 times more likely to have conduct problems, 1.8 times more likely to have abdominal pain, 1.6 times more likely to have headaches, and 1.5 times more likely to have sore throats.
Interestingly, the daily schoolbag weight was not associated with developing low back pain.
Not all children who develop lower back pain are experiencing increased stress, but there's a good chance they are. Children complaining of back pain should be evaluated for stress problems.
Pediatrics, 4/03
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