From heavy backpacks to scoliosis, two NewYork-Presbyterian experts discuss the causes of back pain in children and what kids can do to keep their backs healthy as they return to school.

Back pain, including lower back pain, is a common complaint among children and adolescents, with some studies estimating 4 out of 10 kids suffer from back pain. Whether back pain is related to wearing heavy backpacks or bad posture or a more serious condition like scoliosis—a sideways curve in the spine that is often diagnosed during adolescence—there are steps you can take to treat back pain and, in some cases, prevent it in the first place.

In this Health Matters video, Dr. Michael Vitale, chief of pediatric spine surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital, and Dr. Katherine Rosenwasser, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, address common questions about children’s back health. From talking about the importance of core strength and flexibility to managing a scoliosis diagnosis, these experts share their advice on how to keep children’s backs and joints healthy and strong.

“The good news is most back pain is not only preventable, but treatable,” says Dr. Vitale. “And with scoliosis, we are very effective at slowing or stopping progression of the curve using physical therapy and exercise.”

Article By Meghan Moog and Levi Fishman | Read the full article and watch this helpful video at the links below