The news is full of reports of increasing obesity among our young people. Longer periods of time in front of the television or computer and less physical activity seem to be major problems. Do these things also cause back pain in teenagers?

Doctors and researchers are looking into this issue. A Swedish group studied adolescents between the ages of 14 and 16, looking for possible causes of low back pain. The early results showed more cases of back pain in teens who spent more time in front of the television or computer. A follow-up to that study three years later did not show the same results.

It is known that increasing age, female gender, and stress add to the risk of low back pain among teenagers. High levels of physical activity and low strength of the back muscles are also factors.

More studies are being conducted. The next five to 10 years will probably bring us closer to answering questions about back pain in young people.