Resolution of Low Back Pain in an 8-year-old Following Chiropractic Care

A case study published in the July 28, 2016, issue of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research documented the case of a young boy suffering with chronic lower back pain being helped by chiropractic adjustments of the neck.

The study begins by pointing out that lower back pain in children is more common that normally perceived. Statistics show that around 50% of children will experience some episode of lower back pain. Normally, lower back pain in children starts around the ages of 12 to 14 with an increase in incidence as age increases. There is no difference between boy and girls in the frequency of this condition.

In this case study, an 8-year-old girl suffering from middle and lower back pain was brought to the chiropractor. She had had these problems for the previous two years. She had not been to any healthcare provider for this problem before visiting the chiropractor. Her parents reported that, "She has been complaining of nightly back pain for a while." The only care rendered at home was some stretching exercises and massage, neither of which were effective.

An examination was performed which included vital signs, neurological and orthopedic tests, cervical static and motion palpation, and range of motion tests. No restrictions or abnormalities were noted in the range of motion for the girl's lower back.

The girl's neck did show some positive finding of muscle tightness, and sensitivity to palpation. A positive thermal scan of the neck helped confirm the presence of subluxations. Adjustments were started on the girl's neck. The study shows that although she would feel better, the lower back pain returned the following day. Additional history was revealed that reported that the girl had fallen down a flight of steps at age three. With this new information, x-rays of the girl's neck were then performed.

With the new findings, specific adjustments were performed when indicated. Because of these new adjustments, the girl's pain was alleviated, and only returned once after the girl fell in her kitchen. After a specific neck adjustment, the pain once again was gone.

In the conclusion of this study the author wrote, "Significant improvement of the pediatric patient’s complaint of low back pain in this case report demonstrates the need for further investigation. The use of a non-invasive, light-force, and highly specific method of correction upper cervical subluxations may prove to be a safe and cost-effective method of care for pediatric back pain in similar cases."