Our sports medicine and spine specialists at Children’s Wisconsin treat all types of back pain, including:

• Muscular back pain: Pain caused by the muscles and non-bony structures in the back, also known as functional back pain.
• Structural back pain: Pain caused by or around the vertebral bones of the spine
  • Disc herniation: Protrusion of a disc between spine bones that can cause pain or pressure on a nerve
  • Schmorl's nodes: Small herniations of the discs inside the vertebrae, often seen on imaging studies and may be asymptomatic, but in some cases, they can be associated with back pain
  • Spinal infections: Infection in the spine
  • Spinal stenosis: Space inside the bones of the spine get too narrow
  • Spondylolysis: A break in a part of the vertebra called the “pars”
  • Spondylolisthesis: A break in a part of the vertebra called the “pars” that results in the vertebra to move out of alignment
• Nerve pain: Pain caused by damage or dysfunction of a nerve, which often feels like burning, tinging, numbness, shooting or stabbing pain

Our specialists use a combination of history, physical exam and diagnostic test for diagnosis and cause of back pain. These tests include:

• X-ray
• EOS — low-dose X-ray option for spine imaging
• CT Scan
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

In addition to rest and at-home care, there are many additional ways Children’s Wisconsin experts care for back pain in youth and adolescents including:

• Athletic training
• Bracing
• Chiropractic care
• Physical therapy
• Sports psychology
• Surgery

Expert pediatric care: Our pediatric spine specialist work together to provide outstanding and compassionate care for even the most complex spine disorders and spine trauma in infants, children and teens. Our interdisciplinary team of pediatric spine experts includes specialists from orthopedics, neurology and neurosurgery, psychology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and physical and occupational therapy. From diagnosis through treatment, we’ll partner with your family to develop the best care plan for your child. We use noninvasive treatment options whenever possible. If your child needs spinal surgery, our highly skilled surgeons use the most advanced techniques and technology to deliver optimal results and shorter recovery times.