toddler complains of back pain

[sarah2032]

I have an almost 2 1/2 year old son who began complaining of back pain in mid-October.  We had just had another baby, so I didn't really think much of it at first.  Then in early November he wouldn't walk, after x-rays and blood work all came back normal our pediatrician diagnosed him with toxic synovitis.  He began walking and was back to normal in a couple days.  However, the occasional complaint of back paincontinued, most of the time when he was laying down.  We took him back in to the Dr. and had more x-rays done.  Then in the beginning of December he began to complain of back pain when he was in his car seat.  Again, i just took it as he wanted out, nothing too alarming.  It has gotten worse that now he will scream like he is in enormous pain whenever he's in the car seat.  I have since paid close attention to what it is that hurts.  He always grabs for the middle of his lower back with his right hand and says that's where it hurts.  We had a Britax Boulevard carseat since April and were praying that it was the carseat that we went and got a new one.  Same thing in the new one.  I then began watching him sit.  When he sits he will not sit with weight equally distributed on both hips, he'll immediately shift his weight to one side or the other, or need to sit sideways with a leg up, then he's fine.  Since a 5 point harness prevents him from doing so, he can't figure out how to fix whatever it is that hurts.  This week he also started it in the stroller.  He will not sit on my lap without shifting to one side or the other.  Even if I distract him with TV or a snack or anything he's all over the place.  If I try to make him sit straight he will immediately begin kicking his legs and squirming his back all over the place, and then scream.  Our pediatrician ordered more x-rays but I don't know what else to do or who else to see for a consult.

[melly1824]

Hi, i just read your post about your son with back pain and belly aches. My son has been complaining of the same thing. He is a very active child and does not act like he is in pain otherwise. He has been having chronic ear infections and has been on antibiotics so i am concerned for his kidneys. I don't seem to think the doctors are always right and tend to write a lot of things off. So here i am doing my own research. I did not see that you posted an update. what was the outcome of your child? Your case seems to be most similar to mine. Thanks!

[4babygirls]

I'm not sure if you read my last post (Feb 22nd, 2012) but I forgot to mention that my daughter would say her back was 'cold' when she was complaining. It was obviously a sensation that she couldn't describe becasuse it turned out to be stomach pain radiating to her back and also heartburn. She has GER and is much better now that she is medicated. Good luck!

[Klharris]

i have been trying to find this exact situation! my 3 yr old son complains of back pain and also says his back is "hot".. you are the only other person i have heard of dealing with that same part of it. he has had several mri's, ct scans and a bone scan..all normal. he has seen many diff specialists too.. next we are going to a neurologist... He always first says his back is hot and then comes the pain. he also complains about his feet hurting him too..

[Klharris]

omg if you are still having this same problem PLEASE contact me.. i am going thru the same exact thing with my 3 yr old. i know your post is old but i was looking for answers and yours is the only one i saw where he complains of his back being "hot" my baby has been thru MRI's, bone scans, ct scans,etc. we are at a loss. he has back pain in his car seat and high chair and sometimes complains about his feet hurting. my email is ***@****

[4babygirls]

I had to come back to this forum after obsessively reading ever single post for the past 4 months trying to figure out this mystery. My daughter is now 2.5 years old and started complaining in her carseat about 5 months ago. I tried to ignore it at first, thinking that she was just a whiney toddler but noticed that she couldn't even sit comfortably in her high chair, in the stroller, sometimes when she was bending over playing, and even on the couch. She was always wiggling around trying to ease some sort of pain. The carseat was the worst though and she would scream in pain. At night she would compian when I would lie her down in her crib and she would only sleep on her stomach. The pain would wake her from her sleep and she would cry out that her back hurt. It started to really scare me and I spent one sleepless night beside her thinking the very worst. I brought her at 6am the next morning to the children's hosptial emergency so I could hopefully get some answers. They ran 2 blood tests, did a spinal xray, lung xray and urine samples. All came back normal. A couple of months went by of me worrying and avoiding any trips in the car when I started to notice that she would complain more when she was sick. One night when she had a cold virus, she was screaming for a half hour straight that her back hurt and I was again about to head back to the hosptial because I had no idea what was wrong with her. All of sudden she vomited and fell into a deep comfortable sleep. It was then that we realized that it wasn't her back that was the culprit, it was actually her stomach. Obviously the pain was radiating to the back or she has some sort of heartburn that she couldn't describe because 2 weeks after she was put on medication for silent reflux, the syptoms have almost disappeared. She never had reflux as baby, and they are investigating why she is developing it at her age (dairy free diet, possible gluten intolerance) but we are just so relieved to find the answer. Her symptoms have baffled 3 pediatricians and also our family doctor because she has no other obvious symptoms of GER. I really hope this post helps someone out there!

[jellicle]

I almost bought a new carseat today even though I can't afford it.  Didn't find one and before searching online, found myself here.  
It's to the point where I just can't leave the house anymore... My dd will be 2-1/2 in a few days.  She's been complaining for a few months specifically of back pains in her carseat, but has been fighting me for years not to get in it (Evenflo something dark purple.)  I thought the other day; I can't believe she STILL fights and cries to not get in her carseat when I have been firm and no-nonsense about it for 2 years!  This is NOT behavioral. The poor kid is panicked hysterical with pain.  
And while the shoulder harness now does not adjust any higher as I feel it should and I instinctively keep trying to get her to push against my hands with her feet so she can adjust her little body, I still don't know if it's the carseat. I cannot believe how many of us are here with kids the same exact age!!!  
She also complains of leg pain, though because usually in car I haven't thought to pinpoint and she can't reach her legs while in seat to show me.
She also wakes up scream-whining about her back and asks me to rub it.  She has asthma and hacks and whoops at night alot too and I thought maybe from the coughing or... because she falls alot... or growing pains, growing pains, growing pains!  -is what I've been thinking when she's not in her carseat and still complaining of leg and back pain.  And now that I'm reading these posts I realize the kid very rarely sits down. I thought hyper 2 year old; normal, but when she eats she sits with her feet tucked under -e v e r y  t i m e.  -Even on the floor/ground.
I will also add calcium/magnesium, make sure to hydrate, cut back on dairy (intimidating life change for me/us), give her a box for her feet, and have her checked for discitis, celiac, and spondylitis so thank you all for your posts.
I'm concerned about something medical, but let me also pose this thought.  Maybe for most of us it IS the carseat.  They make these carseats to accomodate such a wide range of sizes and multiple stages these day, they can't be ergonomic for newborn AND 30 lb 2 year old can they!?  That's a big difference really.  Maybe the carseat manufacturers are all using a smaller model child size and by the time our kids are 2, there's just no way the same shape works.  I too feel the horizontal plastic "bar" across the midback for my child and I didn't know you weren't supposed to put any cushion or padding back there, so that's what I did, but it doesn't help!  Maybe these seats are causing long term damage.
I'm at a loss too really.  I'm very glad to be armed with all of the info above for our pedia appt this week. Thank you all for that, and hugs for all the poor babes in pain.