Spinal injuries, Chiropractic and Kids
Chiropractic care is equally important for kids like it is for adults. In this blog, you will learn about the broad spectrum of spinal injuries, from minor soft tissue injuries to spinal cord injuries.
Both in health care as well as in socio-economic terms, the impact of serious spinal trauma is considerable while the pediatric spinal trauma is generally considered to be rare. In these pediatric spinal injury cases, the comparison between the serious and minor injuries has rarely been studied.
The method by which these studies were carried out were to collect the data as defined by the causative event on injury mechanism as well as the type and spinal level were collected and analyzed using logistic regression. The study was carried out on all children up to the age 16 who sustained spinal trauma, as defined by ICD10 codes, at 2 pediatric trauma hospitals in Sydney, Australia were identified (N = 340).
When the results came out, it was found that, half of serious injuries and one third of all spinal trauma was due to Traffic-related incidents. It was also found that thoracic and lumbar spine injuries are becoming more common with age and the cervical spine was the most frequently injured region in these types of trauma cases. The younger children incurred more of an upper cervical spinal injuries. Results also proved that in conjunction with multiple traumas, serious spinal injury is more likely to occur and children above the age of 8 received minor soft tissue neck injuries more frequently and subsequently. It was also discovered that falls or sporting incidents are rarely responsible for causing serious spinal injuries and road traffic incidents are primary reasons for these types of injuries.
In conclusion, the above study showed that emphasis on fall prevention is required for younger children while traffic-related incidents are the primary causes of injuries across all age groups and care should be taken to prevent them also. So it is clearly evident by the study that the pattern of spinal injury in children is related to the age and the mechanism of the injury. In sporting and recreational activities, older children, particularly boys are sustaining spinal trauma.
Therefore as we can clearly see from the above study, road traffic incidents are the leading causes of serious spinal injuries and the incidence of traumatic spinal injuries increases with age. In children, spinal trauma encompasses to a variety of anatomic structures as well as to a variety of injury types.
The above study covering all types and severity of injuries to the spine and surrounding soft tissues was basically a retrospective records review of all children aged 16 years or younger and they were treated at one of the two children’s hospitals. The list of injuries that was studied included ligamentous injuries to the spinal column, subluxations or dislocations, spinal cord injuries as well as ligamentous injuries to the spinal column. Only, if there is an evidence of vertebral subluxation or dislocation, spinal cord injury, fracture, or major ligamentous, that is being clearly visible, in such cases, spinal injuries are classified as serious in nature.
The examples of minor injuries includes muscle strains, small external lacerations, minor transient neurological symptoms, such as when serious neural injury was ruled out, it just tingles in the extremities, abrasions and contusions, and pain with no other findings.
Now, coming to the study results, it was found that 103 of the cases i.e. approx. 30% were serious injuries out of the total number of 340 cases that was part of this entire study. Children in the age group of 13 to 16 exhibited serious injuries whereas those children who were in the age group of 9 to 12 years exhibited largest number of spinal injuries. Further, it was found that, children in the 9 to 12 age group had shown lowest proportion of serious injuries upto 19% whereas those in the age group of 0 to 4 years had the highest proportion of serious injuries totaling around 47%.
Further research revealed that children within 9 to 16 years of age were twice less likely to sustain serious spinal injury compared to children who were 8 years old or younger. Therefore it is clear that Traffic related incidents, irrespective of injury severity, were the most frequent causes of spinal injuries. Falls and sport comes a close second in this aspect. The most commonly injured region is the cervical spine.
The most significant common injuries across all severities are the cervical injuries than other injury levels for children who are 8 years and below. Cervical injuries still accounts for the majority of the injuries when only the serious injuries were examined. Those children are more likely to sustain a cervical spine injury who are aged 8 years or below. Children until they become 8 years old, upper cervical spine injuries dominate them and after that the frequency of lower cervical spine injury increases and for children in the age group of 13 to 16 years, the upper cervical spine injury exceeds. It was discovered that out of all such injuries two thirds were minor cuts, bruises and strains.
Overall in 5.6% of the cases, spinal cord injury becomes visible. Ligamentous injuries accounts for 7% whereas fractures without spinal cord injury accounts for 17% in these cases. Minor injuries are less common in children younger than 5 years and are more common in 9 to 12 year olds. This particular study identifies the dominance of sport-related injuries, in boys 9 years of age or older and these are particular minor injuries whereas 9 to 12 year olds has accumulated increased number of minor soft injuries.
Traffic-related injuries due to the magnitude of the forces that gets associated with traffic crashes, are the most common causes of spinal injuries. Children in the 9 to 12 years age group accumulated mostly minor spinal injuries most of which were soft tissue neck injuries, involving nervous system interference.
In the motor vehicle occupants, it was reported that there were more minor neck injuries in the 9 to 12 years age. In majority of such cases, it was found that children were seating in the front seat which includes a small number of whiplash-type injuries in rear impacts, which clearly indicates the transition to adult cervical spine injury mechanisms. Specifically related to sporting and diving activities, the 13 to 16 year age group shows an increase in serious injuries. With lumbar and thoracic injuries increasing with age, cervical injuries dominate the youngest children. This may reflect the reported differences in exposure and injury mechanism as well as differences in biomechanical properties.
This study reveals that with the lower cervical spine becoming more frequently involved with increasing age in children under 9, serious cervical spine injuries at or above C3, tend to be in the upper cervical spine. Diving is not so much associated with the upper cervical spine injuries in children compared to lower cervical spine where it is mostly associated. Children, who see a general practitioner or other health care professional whenever they sustain minor spinal injuries and were not brought to hospital, were excluded in this study sample. Therefore these data under-represents minor injuries.
LESSONS TO LEARN : KEY POINTS
1) Motor traffic incidents are the most common causes of serious pediatric spinal traumas.
2) Children after the age of 8, faces minor neck injuries more frequently.
3) One of the common causes of neck injuries in older boys is sporting activities, largely rugby football.
4) The most common spinal injuries in children 8 years of age and younger is from falls.
5) At 2 pediatric trauma hospitals, this study looked at spinal trauma in children up to age 16.
6) Traffic-related incidents accounted for half of serious injuries and approximately one third of all spinal traumas.
7) Thoracic and lumbar spine injuries becoming more common with age and as a result the cervical spine is the most frequently injured region.
8) The lower cervical spine was most commonly injured in older children and the upper cervical spine was involved more often in younger children.
9) Above the age of 8, the frequency of minor soft tissue neck injuries increased.
10) Compared to falls or sporting incidents, road traffic incidents were more likely to result in serious spinal injury.
11) Across all age groups, traffic-related incidents are a leading cause of spinal injury.
12) In sporting and recreational activities, older children, particularly boys, are sustaining spinal trauma.
13) 70% of injury cases were classified as minor and 30% were classified as serious out of the total number of spinal injury cases found in this study.
14) Children in the 9 to 12 year age group were among the largest with spinal injuries.
15) Children in the 13 to 16 year old age were the largest group for serious spinal injuries.
16) The highest proportion of serious injuries was accumulated as 47% by the 0 to 4 year age group.
17) Irrespective of injury severity, traffic-related injuries were the most frequent causes of spinal injuries.
18) The most commonly injured region among all spinal injuries is the cervical spine.
19) Up until age 8, the upper cervical spine injuries dominate the children, after which the frequency of lower cervical spine injury increases and the upper cervical spine in the 13 to 16 year age group exceeds accordingly.
20) Due to the magnitude of the forces that are associated with the traffic crashes, traffic-related injury is the most common cause of spinal injury.
21) Almost all of the cases involved children sitting in the front seat including a small number of whiplash-type injuries in rear impacts, indicates this transition.
22) The study discovers that on one hand, the lower cervical spine becomes more frequently involved with the increasing age for children whereas for those under the age of 9, cervical spine injuries which are serious in nature, tend to be in the upper cervical spine at or above C3.
23) Finally this data under-represents minor injuries because children who normally sees general practitioner or other health care professional, unlike going to hospital, while sustaining minor injuries, are excluded from this study.
How to deal with child spine injuries?
The above article clearly demonstrates that children are injured in sports activities, automobile accidents and various other mechanisms. The study clearly proves why chiropractic treatment is required and unavoidable for children to cure these spine related injuries.
Studies show that the proper alignment and functioning of the nervous system can correct numerous health problems including the deadly spinal injuries in children and help prevent many conditions from developing. This enables the body to maintain its natural, inborn resistance to illness and disease. You can be Healthy Naturally, there is HOPE.
Dr Khalsa (Dr. Yogi) is an expert in the care of nervous system. He and his team at the Institute are focused and dedicated to the care of the Upper Cervical spine.
Please call to make your appointment today or for more information:
Chiropractic information and appointments. Call: 510-780-4595 or 510-507-0264
e-mail: DrYogi@DrYogi.com