How do you treat neck pain in children?

You treat neck pain in children by identifying the cause and then applying a combination of rest, heat, gentle exercises and posture corrections. For mild complaints, home treatments often help well, but with persistent pain or warning signs, professional help is needed. Most neck pain in children disappears within a few days with the right approach.

What causes neck pain in children?

Neck pain in children usually occurs due to poor posture, uncomfortable sleeping positions, too much screen time or sudden movements during sports. Growth spurts can also cause neck complaints because muscles and joints adapt to changing body proportions.

Modern lifestyle plays a major role in neck problems. Children spend more and more time with their heads tilted downward, looking at phones, tablets or laptops. This forward bent posture causes extra pressure on the neck muscles and can lead to chronic tension.

Other common causes are:

• Sleeping with too many or too few pillows
• Backpacks that are too heavy or carried incorrectly
• Sudden movements during sports or play
• Stress and tension that accumulate in the neck muscles
• Poor sitting posture at school or at home

In young children, infections such as throat inflammation can sometimes cause neck pain through swollen lymph nodes. This is usually accompanied by fever and other illness symptoms.

How do you recognise neck pain in your child?

Children don’t always express neck pain clearly in words. You often recognise it through behavioural changes, such as avoiding certain movements, complaining about headaches or having difficulty turning the head left or right.

Watch for these warning signs in your child:

• Holds the head tilted or in a strange position
• Turns the whole body instead of just the head
• Complains about headaches, especially at the back of the head
• Has trouble falling asleep or wakes up frequently
• Is irritable or tearful without clear reason
• Doesn’t want to play or move as normal

Young children sometimes say their “head hurts” when they actually mean neck pain. They may also complain about pain in the shoulders or upper back, because neck tension often spreads to these areas.

In babies and toddlers, you see neck pain mainly through restlessness, lots of crying without clear cause and resistance to certain positions, such as lying on the stomach or turning the head to one side.

Which home treatments help with children’s neck pain?

Safe home treatments for neck pain in children consist of rest, heat, gentle massage and careful movement exercises. Always start with rest and avoid activities that worsen the pain, such as sports or moving the head a lot.

Heat treatment works well for tense neck muscles. Use a warm, moist towel for 10-15 minutes, or let your child take a warm shower. Make sure the heat isn’t too hot to prevent burns.

Effective home treatments are:

• Gentle massage of neck and shoulders with light pressure
• Careful stretching and rotating movements of the head
• Adjusting the sleeping position with a suitable pillow
• Taking breaks during screen time to relax the neck
• Improving posture during sitting and standing

You only use cold treatment for acute injuries, such as after a fall or collision. Wrap ice cubes in a towel and hold this against the painful spot for a maximum of 10 minutes.

Ensure a good sleeping environment with a pillow that supports the natural curve of the neck. Too many pillows or no pillow at all can worsen neck pain.

When should you seek professional help for neck pain in children?

Seek immediate medical help if neck pain is accompanied by fever, headache or nausea, or if your child cannot move the head without extreme pain. Professional assessment is also needed for neck pain after a fall, collision or accident.

These alarm signals require immediate attention:

• Fever combined with neck stiffness
• Headache that keeps getting worse
• Nausea and vomiting
• Tingling in arms or hands
• Weakness in arms or legs
• Neck pain after trauma or accident

Also go to a professional if the neck pain persists for longer than a week, returns regularly or if home treatments provide no relief. Chronic neck pain can indicate underlying problems that need treatment.

With young children you are extra careful. Their cervical spine is still developing and therefore more vulnerable to permanent damage. Are you in doubt? Then always have it checked by a professional.

How Ruggensteun helps with treating neck pain in children

We specialise in treating neck pain in children and use a child-friendly approach that is both safe and effective. Our chiropractors have specific expertise in treating babies, children and young people with neck complaints.

Our treatment for children with neck pain includes:

• A thorough analysis of the cause of the neck complaints
• Gentle treatment techniques adapted for children
• Advice about posture and ergonomics for school and home
• Exercises that children enjoy doing at home
• Guidance for parents with aftercare

We understand that children react differently to treatments than adults. That’s why we take the time to put your child at ease and explain everything in a way he or she understands. Parents are always welcome to be present during treatment.

You can contact us directly, without referral from the GP. For more information about our neck pain treatments or to make an appointment, visit our website or contact us. We’re ready to help your child get rid of neck pain.