Study by Northwestern Health Sciences University will look at back pain in teens

September 14, 2010 — Researchers at the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies (WHCCS) at Northwestern Health Sciences University are leading the way in being among the first to study chiropractic and exercise for low back pain in adolescents.

In doing so, they will contribute to the much needed evidence base regarding noninvasive, drug-free therapies for an understudied segment of the U.S. population.

Low back pain is one of the most common and costly chronic conditions burdening the U.S. healthcare system. Once thought to be a condition limited to adults, recent research has demonstrated that low back pain is actually very common in children and adolescents. In fact, an estimated 50 percent of children and adolescents will experience back pain in the next year and more than 70 percent have experienced back pain at some point in their lives.

This is particularly troubling as teens with back pain are often unable to participate fully in academic, sports and social activities, which may place them at a considerable disadvantage compared to their pain-free peers. Further, low back pain is not simply something that teens “grow out of.” Teens with low back pain have a greater likelihood of continuing to experience low back pain in adulthood and suffering from the economic and social consequences that are associated with chronic pain conditions.

Northwestern researchers are collaborating with the University of Western States (UWS) in Portland, Ore., on the study. The research teams are currently recruiting for the study, which will include 92 subjects at WHCCS and 92 subjects at UWS. They are looking for adolescents 12-18 years old, who are in generally good health with low back pain.

People in the Twin Cities area or the Portland area who are interested in participating in the study may call 952-886-7598 or e-mail newstudies@nwhealth.edu to find out if you may be eligible.

Source: Northwestern Health Sciences University, www.nwhealth.edu/nwtoday/index.html