Low Back Pain in Children and Adolescents: Real Life Experience of 106 Patients

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the demographic data, etiologies and risk factors of 106 children and adolescents with low back pain (LBP) who applied to our clinic. METHODS: The medical records of patients with low back pain under 18 presenting to our clinic in 2014-2018 were examined retrospectively. Patients' demographic data, physical examination findings, laboratory and imaging results, and risk factors for low back pain were evaluated; diagnosis and treatment modalities were recorded. RESULTS: In this study, 106 children and adolescents 8-17 (mean 14.24±2.33) years, 55 girls (51.8%) and 51 boys (48.1%) were included. Sixty-two patients (58.4%) were diagnosed with non-specific low back pain, 24 (22.6%) with lumbar disc herniation, six (5.6%) with inflammatory low back pain, five (4.7%) with spondylolysis (with accompanying listhesis in two), five (4.7%) with scoliosis, and four (3.7%) with Scheuermann Disease. Three patients were operated and another patient underwent an algological intervention for persistent pain. Six patients diagnosed as spondyloarthropathy were referred to the pediatric rheumatology department. Pain in the remaining cases was brought under control using conservative methods in a combination of medical treatment, rest and physiotherapy. CONCLUSION: Low back pain is a frequent complaint in the child-adolescent age group. The causes of low back pain are as diverse as adults in this age group. The contrary common belief that severe problems, such as malignancy are common, mechanical reasons as the most common cause of low back pain.