Pain Smart Education research output

Hestbæk, L.; Kamper, S. J.; Hartvigsen, J.; Falch-Joergensen, A. C.

Motor skills at 7 years of age and spinal pain at 11 years of age: a cohort study of 26,000 preadolescents Journal Article

In: Eur J Pediatr, vol. 182, no. 6, pp. 2843–2853, 2023, ISSN: 1432-1076.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Back Pain, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

@article{Hestbæk2023,

title = {Motor skills at 7 years of age and spinal pain at 11 years of age: a cohort study of 26,000 preadolescents},

author = {L. Hestbæk and S. J. Kamper and J. Hartvigsen and A. C. Falch-Joergensen},

url = {https://painsmart-education.sydney.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Motor-skills-at-7-years-of-age-and-spinal-pain-at-11-years-of-age-a-cohort-study-of-26000-preadolescents.pdf, PDF},

doi = {10.1007/s00431-023-04964-8},

issn = {1432-1076},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-06-00},

urldate = {2023-06-00},

journal = {Eur J Pediatr},

volume = {182},

number = {6},

pages = {2843--2853},

publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},

abstract = {<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This study aims to investigate the relationship between motor skills at age 7 and spinal pain at age 11. The study included participants from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Data on motor skills were obtained from the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, completed by the mothers when the children were 7 years old, and spinal pain was self-reported at age 11 for frequency and intensity of neck, mid back, and low back pain. This was categorized into “no,” “moderate,” or “severe” pain, based on frequency and pain intensity. Associations were estimated using multinomial logistic regression models. Data on both motor skills and spinal pain was available for 25,000 children. There was a consistent pattern of reporting more neck or mid back pain at age 11 for those with lower levels of fine motor skills and coordination scores at age 11. The relationship was significant for severe pain (the highest relative risk ratio being 1.87 and the lowest 1.18), but not for moderate pain (the highest relative risk ratio being 1.22 and the lowest 1.07). Gross motor skills were not associated with spinal pain, and there was no relationship between low back pain and motor skills.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:italic>  Conclusion</jats:italic>: Our results indicate a link between motor development at 7 years of age and neck and mid back pain, but not low back pain, at 11 years of age. Improvement of motor skills in young children might reduce the future burden of neck and mid back pain and should be a target of future research.

<jats:table-wrap><jats:table><jats:tbody>

                    <jats:tr>

                      <jats:td align="left"><jats:bold>What is Known:</jats:bold></jats:td>

                    </jats:tr>

                    <jats:tr>

                      <jats:td align="left">• <jats:italic>Spinal pain in preadolescence and adolescence is common and 

predisposes to spinal pain in adulthood.</jats:italic></jats:td>

                    </jats:tr>

                    <jats:tr>

                      <jats:td align="left">• <jats:italic>Motor skills influence the biomechanics of movement and therefore has a 

potential impact on musculoskeletal health.</jats:italic></jats:td>

                    </jats:tr>

                    <jats:tr>

                      <jats:td align="left"><jats:bold>What is New:</jats:bold></jats:td>

                    </jats:tr>

                    <jats:tr>

                      <jats:td align="left">• <jats:italic>Poor fine motor- and coordination skills in childhood were associated with increased risk of severe neck- or mid back pain, but not low back pain, four 4 years later.</jats:italic></jats:td>

                    </jats:tr>

                    <jats:tr>

                      <jats:td align="left">• <jats:italic>Poor gross motor skills were not associated with higher risk of later spinal pain.</jats:italic></jats:td>

                    </jats:tr>

                  </jats:tbody></jats:table></jats:table-wrap></jats:p>},

keywords = {Back Pain, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

Close

AbstractThis study aims to investigate the relationship between motor skills at age 7 and spinal pain at age 11. The study included participants from the Danish National Birth Cohort. Data on motor skills were obtained from the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire, completed by the mothers when the children were 7 years old, and spinal pain was self-reported at age 11 for frequency and intensity of neck, mid back, and low back pain. This was categorized into “no,” “moderate,” or “severe” pain, based on frequency and pain intensity. Associations were estimated using multinomial logistic regression models. Data on both motor skills and spinal pain was available for 25,000 children. There was a consistent pattern of reporting more neck or mid back pain at age 11 for those with lower levels of fine motor skills and coordination scores at age 11. The relationship was significant for severe pain (the highest relative risk ratio being 1.87 and the lowest 1.18), but not for moderate pain (the highest relative risk ratio being 1.22 and the lowest 1.07). Gross motor skills were not associated with spinal pain, and there was no relationship between low back pain and motor skills. Conclusion: Our results indicate a link between motor development at 7 years of age and neck and mid back pain, but not low back pain, at 11 years of age. Improvement of motor skills in young children might reduce the future burden of neck and mid back pain and should be a target of future research.

What is Known:

• Spinal pain in preadolescence and adolescence is common and
predisposes to spinal pain in adulthood.

• Motor skills influence the biomechanics of movement and therefore has a
potential impact on musculoskeletal health.

What is New:

• Poor fine motor- and coordination skills in childhood were associated with increased risk of severe neck- or mid back pain, but not low back pain, four 4 years later.

• Poor gross motor skills were not associated with higher risk of later spinal pain.

Close

O’Keeffe, Mary; Kamper, Steven J; Montgomery, Laura; Williams, Amanda; Martiniuk, Alexandra; Lucas, Barbara; Dario, Amabile B; Rathleff, Michael S; Hestbaek, Lise; Williams, Christopher M

Defining Growing Pains: A Scoping Review Journal Article

In: vol. 150, no. 2, 2022, ISSN: 1098-4275.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Pain, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

@article{O’Keeffe2022,

title = {Defining Growing Pains: A Scoping Review},

author = {Mary O’Keeffe and Steven J Kamper and Laura Montgomery and Amanda Williams and Alexandra Martiniuk and Barbara Lucas and Amabile B Dario and Michael S Rathleff and Lise Hestbaek and Christopher M Williams},

url = {https://painsmart-education.sydney.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Defining-Growing-Pains-A-Scoping-Review.pdf, PDF},

doi = {10.1542/peds.2021-052578},

issn = {1098-4275},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-08-01},

urldate = {2022-08-01},

volume = {150},

number = {2},

publisher = {American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)},

abstract = {<jats:sec>

                  <jats:title />

               </jats:sec>

               <jats:sec>

                  <jats:title>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES</jats:title>

                  <jats:p>Up to one third of children may be diagnosed with growing pains, but considerable uncertainty surrounds how to make this diagnosis. The objective of this study was to detail the definitions of growing pains in the medical literature.</jats:p>

               </jats:sec>

               <jats:sec>

                  <jats:title>METHODS</jats:title>

                  <jats:p>Scoping review with 8 electronic databases and 6 diagnostic classification systems searched from their inception to January 2021. The study selection included peer-reviewed articles or theses referring to “growing pain(s)” or “growth pain(s)” in relation to children or adolescents. Data extraction was performed independently by 2 reviewers.</jats:p>

               </jats:sec>

               <jats:sec>

                  <jats:title>RESULTS</jats:title>

                  <jats:p>We included 145 studies and 2 diagnostic systems (ICD-10 and SNOMED). Definition characteristics were grouped into 8 categories: pain location, age of onset, pain pattern, pain trajectory, pain types and risk factors, relationship to activity, severity and functional impact, and physical examination and investigations. There was extremely poor consensus between studies as to the basis for a diagnosis of growing pains. The most consistent component was lower limb pain, which was mentioned in 50% of sources. Pain in the evening or night (48%), episodic or recurrent course (42%), normal physical assessment (35%), and bilateral pain (31%) were the only other components to be mentioned in more than 30% of articles. Notably, more than 80% of studies made no reference to age of onset in their definition, and 93% did not refer to growth. Limitations of this study are that the included studies were not specifically designed to define growing pains.</jats:p>

               </jats:sec>

               <jats:sec>

                  <jats:title>CONCLUSIONS</jats:title>

                  <jats:p>There is no clarity in the medical research literature regarding what defines growing pain. Clinicians should be wary of relying on the diagnosis to direct treatment decisions.</jats:p>

               </jats:sec>},

keywords = {Pain, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

Close

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Up to one third of children may be diagnosed with growing pains, but considerable uncertainty surrounds how to make this diagnosis. The objective of this study was to detail the definitions of growing pains in the medical literature.

METHODS
Scoping review with 8 electronic databases and 6 diagnostic classification systems searched from their inception to January 2021. The study selection included peer-reviewed articles or theses referring to “growing pain(s)” or “growth pain(s)” in relation to children or adolescents. Data extraction was performed independently by 2 reviewers.

RESULTS
We included 145 studies and 2 diagnostic systems (ICD-10 and SNOMED). Definition characteristics were grouped into 8 categories: pain location, age of onset, pain pattern, pain trajectory, pain types and risk factors, relationship to activity, severity and functional impact, and physical examination and investigations. There was extremely poor consensus between studies as to the basis for a diagnosis of growing pains. The most consistent component was lower limb pain, which was mentioned in 50% of sources. Pain in the evening or night (48%), episodic or recurrent course (42%), normal physical assessment (35%), and bilateral pain (31%) were the only other components to be mentioned in more than 30% of articles. Notably, more than 80% of studies made no reference to age of onset in their definition, and 93% did not refer to growth. Limitations of this study are that the included studies were not specifically designed to define growing pains.

CONCLUSIONS
There is no clarity in the medical research literature regarding what defines growing pain. Clinicians should be wary of relying on the diagnosis to direct treatment decisions.

Close

Montgomery, Laura R. C.; Kamper, Steven J.; Hartvigsen, Jan; French, Simon D.; Hestbaek, Lise; Troelsen, Jens; Swain, Michael S.

Exceeding 2-h sedentary time per day is not associated with moderate to severe spinal pain in 11- to 13-year-olds: a cross-sectional analysis Journal Article

In: Eur J Pediatr, vol. 181, no. 2, pp. 653–659, 2022, ISSN: 1432-1076.

Links | BibTeX | Tags: Back Pain, Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health