“Could posture cause lower back pain in children?”
My son is 10 years old and I noticed that his posture is really bad. He walks with his shoulders slouched and when he plays video games he's often hunched over. He's been also complaining about back pain. Could this be from his posture? What can we do to help?
16 Answers
Bad posture is a very common reason for pain. It’s something most people don’t consider. I would get an evaluation from a chiropractor and/or physical therapist to talk about spinal alignment and posture strengthening exercises.
Posture is highly correlated to back pain, especially among younger children and teens given the advances in technology and gaming. I recommend having your being seen by a Chiropractor or other posture specialist to assess the mechanics of his spine and supporting musculature so that a proper treatment plan can be developed. Typical treatment plans will consist of exercises to strengthen posture stabilizing musculature.
Poor posture can be due to poor habits. It may also be due to an inherited body structure that retraining habits will not overcome. It really takes some investigation to figure out what will help a child's posture. Finding a health practitioner who spends the time to assess the childs condition and situation is really important. Chiropractic treatment alone likely is not going to be the full answer. It will take some time with any health provider to work with the parents and a willing and motivated child to make good contributions for a postural problem.
Yes, it could, along with some other things. You should take him to a chiropractor for an exam and adjustments.
Posture is very important in all ages, but especially adolescents. A complete chiropractic checkup would be indicated- including postural, weight bearing spinal x-rays.
I see this happening across the board! With kids and technology, I fear we are going to see increased spinal problems like never before. See your local chiropractor and get tips on retraining his posture it is a critical time, especially as he is still growing.
Hello,
Yes, posture can definitely be causing the back pain in someone that young. The best solution is to involve him in activity away from the computer to offset the bad posture. There are also postural exercises that he can do but they have to be done consistently. A quick search on YouTube for postural exercises will show you many. I prefer wall angels or wall slides as they get all the muscles. Learning good posture exercises early will help him in his older years too. It’s tough with a ten year old and even tougher with a teenager, but try your best to encourage it.
Vishal K. Verma, DC, CCSP
Yes, posture can definitely be causing the back pain in someone that young. The best solution is to involve him in activity away from the computer to offset the bad posture. There are also postural exercises that he can do but they have to be done consistently. A quick search on YouTube for postural exercises will show you many. I prefer wall angels or wall slides as they get all the muscles. Learning good posture exercises early will help him in his older years too. It’s tough with a ten year old and even tougher with a teenager, but try your best to encourage it.
Vishal K. Verma, DC, CCSP
Yes.
Structure typically leads to function (or lack of function). So, if his posture is bad, usually it's bad due to a shifting of his segments in his spinal column. Which in turn leads to poor posture. You can definitely have him perform stretches and exercises to give him temporary relief, but once he stops doing those exercises, his posture will go back to where it has been. Best thing would be to invest into his health, especially him being only 10 years old, and to get him checked for NeuroStructural Abnormalities by a qualified chiropractor that performs a NeuroStrucutural Assessment with Full Spine X-rays.
Definitely. Bad posture is one of the main contributors to the development of back pain. It can affect the natural curvature of the spine causing compression of the intervertebral disc and early spinal degenerative changes.
The first thing is to see a good chiropractor. Because your son has had bad postural hygiene for some time by your question, his muscles and ligaments are conforming to that position and causing loss of normal joint movement, i.e., fixations of the spine. I am sure that because of this when you ask him to straighten up the pain increases, so he slumps. The chiropractor knows how to treat this. He or she may also recommended a posture brace that can be worn under clothes so no one will even know your son is wearing it, except maybe wondering why he seems taller all of a sudden.
Other things to do would get him an exercise ball for daily stretching exercises. Do it with him and he will be more prone to comply. It only takes about ten minutes or so. Go online to therabandacademy.com, it is free to join and they have the equipment you need and also downloadable exercises. Your son can also sit on the ball while playing his video games and that should help his posture and core strength.
Yours in health,
Doc
The first thing is to see a good chiropractor. Because your son has had bad postural hygiene for some time by your question, his muscles and ligaments are conforming to that position and causing loss of normal joint movement, i.e., fixations of the spine. I am sure that because of this when you ask him to straighten up the pain increases, so he slumps. The chiropractor knows how to treat this. He or she may also recommended a posture brace that can be worn under clothes so no one will even know your son is wearing it, except maybe wondering why he seems taller all of a sudden.
Other things to do would get him an exercise ball for daily stretching exercises. Do it with him and he will be more prone to comply. It only takes about ten minutes or so. Go online to therabandacademy.com, it is free to join and they have the equipment you need and also downloadable exercises. Your son can also sit on the ball while playing his video games and that should help his posture and core strength.
Yours in health,
Doc
Absolutely, this could be exactly what is causing his pain. The posture you are seeing is called a hyperkyphosis, usually in the upper thoracic spine, and sometimes extending into the cervical spine in the neck. If the posture has started to affect the spine, it may already be affecting his neurological function. I would recommend a consultation with a trusted chiropractor as this may indicate early onset of scoliosis, which may be prevented if caught early enough.
Dr. Jake Tucker
Dr. Jake Tucker
Posture can cause back/neck pain. Back/neck pain can cause posture change. It's often the chicken or the egg theory as to which came first. It would be appropriate to have your son's posture evaluated by a general chiropractor who cares for children or one who is board certified in chiropractic pediatrics. The sooner the better, since some scoliosis problems can best be corrected before completion of puberty.
Dr. Juanee Surprise, DC. NMD, IMD, DCBCN, CTTN
Dr. Juanee Surprise, DC. NMD, IMD, DCBCN, CTTN
Yes, all those things are likely sources. Backpacks are also common. The backpack should not exceed 15% of his body weight. Posture is so important. And it is a management issue more than a “fix-it” issue. In other words, reduce or eliminate harmful things such as what you mentioned and prolonged sitting. Add in corrective things, such as posture exercises. there are many on the Internet. It needn’t be expensive, but you do have to find something he likes enough to do.
Yes. Bad posture can cause back pain.
Yes.
Absolutely, this is becoming increasingly common amongst younger people. I recommend consulting a Chiropractor or Physical Therapist for some corrective exercises and other treatment if necessary.
