For the past several weeks, my 2 1/2 year old has been complaining off/on that his back hurts. He always points to the same spot on his low back, and it's on both sides. I've been watching him closely, and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary: he is playing and walking/running normally, his urine isn't strong smelling and he's not going any more frequently than normally, he's sleeping fine, etc. I haven't noticed a pattern as to when it hurts--time of day, sitting in a certain chair or the car seat, etc. Nothing I do (pressing on muscles or his hips, for example) seems to cause an increase in pain (I am a physical therapist, but I don't work with kids his age). My husband is a physician assistant who works in the ER and used to do family practice, and he says he can't identify any cause for worry.
It has gone on long enough that I am starting to get concerned, but my husband is frustrated with me and says that I am "always looking for problems" where there aren't any. If it were up to him, I think he would only take the kids to the doctor for well-child checks and if they had a broken bone sticking out of their body. Anyway, does anyone have any insight as to what this could be?? Would you take your child to the doctor for this??
I wound up taking him to the pediatrician, and she had me give him Miralax for constipation. He is doing much better--every now and then he'll say his back hurts, but it's much less. Tonight he even told me that his back did NOT hurt--lol.
My daughter who is 2 yrs, 4 months, has been doing the same exact thing. I originally thought it was after eating, but then realized that was not always the case. I now think that she does it when she wants her lovey. SHe knows that if she has a pain she can have her doggy, so I think that is the cause. I also started to give it less attention and she has done it much more infrequently. GOodl uck!
My daughter did the same thing not too long ago, she's 3 now. It turned out she meant ichy (bug bite). She also started mimicing her dad who was complaining about back pain at the time.
I was quite worried when she complained about the back pain. That is too young, which makes it a little scary.
first thing that came to mind is is he constipated? growing pains? is he making it up for attention? If it continued I would take him to the doctor ( a woman's response LOL) You can try putting some arnica on it and see if that helps. As a PT you probably know of the wonders of arnica, hopefully! good luck..I'm curious..
I would take him to the doctor to be on the safe side. I can't tell you how many times I took my kids to the doc against my husband's wishes and it turned out to be a good idea.
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Since you have eliminated all other posibilities, sounds like growing pains to me. My kids have all complained of this (short term) mystery pain here or there, usually a joint. Always goes away, then the kid wakes up one day an inch or two taller! Those growth spurts are amazing, if you look at them long enough it's like you can actually SEE them growing! Good Luck, hope he feels better soon! BTW, if after a week or so it's still there or gets worse or interferes with his regular activity, yes, I would take him to the dr.
things that come to my mind would be the kidneys or the bowels. if it's always the same spot on the back, i would see if it's in that area. if so, I would take to the doctor.
Growing pains is a big one it could be as well. I also agree that it could be the mattress. My nieces complained about problems with their back and their legs for months, and finally they got new mattresses and that solved the problem.
If he keeps complaining, ,a trip to the doctor won't be wasted at all. If he is near a well child visit you could always wait until that check up.
I think we always have to trust our instincts as mothers. If we think something's wrong, it usually is. I'd look into this further. You've thought of the kidneys and that's what I thought of right away too. There's this reflux thing that can be tested for with a dye test. Probably lots of things. I've found Children's Hospital to be wonderful at diagnosing things that other docs hardly ever see and don't catch. Keep pursuing this. Pain in a child this young means something. He's not trying to get out of a test at school! Also, the consistency of his reports make them pretty reliable. Don't give up, Mama! As for your husband's response, medical people tend not to panic with their own kids unless it's a major thing. My daughter is a doc and her kids call me a lot because I take it more seriously!
It could be growing pains (My 2 y/o keeps telling us her knee hurts but there is nothing wrong with it) but if you are worried go see his pediatrician because you are a mother, doesn’t matter what the degree on the wall says, and because of the degree sometimes we miss stuff. If nothing else it will make you feel better
He might have the beginnings of a kidney infection. Without a test you won't know. My daughter had some lower back pain...we thought she hurt herself playing soccer and took her to the chiropractor. Her back was fine...she had just a low grade infection in her kidneys. No other sign like a fever, just a bothersome pain in her lower back. You might want to have a test just to be sure before it gets worse.
I would be concerned to. If it is something that your toddler complains about off and on, it could be attention grabbing but, like you, I wouldn't want to chance it. So, kidneys and bladder seem to be fine. Your a PT so you could probably tell if scoliosis is an issue. How about your child's mattress or sleeping position? Could you try flipping your son's mattress and see if that helps the situation or maybe peek in at night and see if he is sleeping in an akward position. If these suggestions don't help, then definitely have him seen by an MD (I know that you and your husband are highly qualified but there's a reason why doctors shouldn't treat their family members) and possibly have him checked out by a chiropractor as well.
Hope that you are able to resolve this medical mystery soon.
