Is Non-Surgical Back Pain Treatment Safe for Kids and Teens in Centennial CO?
Home / Blog / Is Non-Surgical Back Pain Treatment Safe for Kids and Teens in Centennial CO?
By Butler Family Health Center · Published 2026-11-05 · Last updated 2026-11-05
Yes. For most kids and teens with ordinary back pain, gentle non-surgical back pain treatment in Centennial, CO is a reasonable option, provided it starts with a careful exam that checks for warning signs. Published reviews describe serious problems after spinal care in children as rare. They also raise the concern of a serious cause being missed or diagnosed late.
What decides the answer for your child is age, the cause of the pain and whether any red flag shows up. At Butler Family Health Center, Dr. Chris Butler has been a chiropractor since 1996 and treats patients from newborns to seniors. Our page on non-surgical back pain treatment in Centennial explains the care itself. Here you will find the research, the warning signs and what a visit involves.
How Safe Non-Surgical Back Pain Care Is for a Child in Centennial
Non-surgical back pain care for a child in Centennial has a reassuring safety record, though the research has gaps. A 2024 review in Clinical Pediatrics found serious adverse events with pediatric spinal manipulation to be rare. It notes that most techniques used on children are gentle and low-force, unlike the high-velocity thrusts used on adults. It also cites a 2015 review of 31 articles that found serious events were rare and reported no deaths.
The same review lists a delayed diagnosis among the possible problems. That is why the exam matters as much as the technique. The evidence on results is weaker than the evidence on safety: a review of 166 pediatric articles on spinal manipulation for back pain and headaches rated it low level.
Colorado law defines chiropractic as diagnosing ailments and adjusting the joints, particularly the spine, by hand or instrument, and that definition sets no age limit. Children from Castlewood, Southglenn and the rest of Arapahoe County get the same exam-first approach adults do.
What Does the Research Show for Teens, and What Does It Leave Out?
The research on teens with back pain is more encouraging than the research on young children, though it is still limited. In a trial of adolescents with chronic low back pain, published in PAIN in 2018 and described by the University of Minnesota, 30% of teens given spinal manipulation by chiropractors plus supervised exercise had at least a 75% drop in pain after 3 months of treatment. In the exercise-only group, 14% did. At 6 months, 70% versus 40% had a 50% drop.
Younger children are a different story. A 2020 rapid review of 25 studies on children under 10, mostly case reports, found it unclear whether manipulation raises the risk of adverse events at that age. Most reported events were mild and passed quickly. The risk of moderate or severe events is unknown.
Why Kids and Teens Around Centennial Get Back Pain
Kids and teens around Centennial get back pain mostly for ordinary reasons. About half of children and teens have back pain at some point, and up to 10% hurt badly enough to miss school or sports, according to Children's Hospital Colorado.
The most common causes in growing kids are muscle weakness and stiffness: tight hamstrings, a weak core and overuse from sports or other repeated activity. That covers a lot of Centennial childhood, from weekend games at DeKoevend Park to long bike rides on the High Line Canal Trail or the Big Dry Creek Trail.
Backpacks get blamed often. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping a backpack to no more than 10% to 20% of a child's body weight, though American Family Physician notes the evidence linking heavy packs to back pain is mixed. The rule of thumb applies to plenty of students here, since Cherry Creek Public Schools serve most of Centennial and Littleton Public Schools serve the western part.
Which Spine Conditions Show Up in Growing Teens?
Two spine conditions show up in growing teens often enough to know by name. Spondylolysis, a stress fracture in a vertebra of the lower back, affects up to 6% of children, and more than 90% of cases respond to conservative care. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis occurs in 2% to 3% of adolescents. Among children with both scoliosis and back pain, an underlying condition is present in 10% to 35%.
So a teen whose low back still aches weeks into a season of running the Willow Creek Trail deserves a real exam. Scoliosis care is one of the services we offer, and the exam shows whether a curve or a stress injury needs a medical doctor first.
Warning Signs That Mean a Child Needs a Medical Doctor First
Some warning signs mean a child needs a medical doctor first, before any chiropractic visit. Children's Hospital Colorado and American Family Physician list these:
- Pain that lasts longer than about a month (AFP uses 4 weeks)
- Pain that routinely wakes the child at night
- Fever, unexplained weight loss or other signs of illness
- Weakness, tingling or lasting numbness in the arms or legs
- Changes in bladder or bowel control
- Back pain in a child younger than 5
AFP says signs like these call for immediate evaluation. Loss of bladder or bowel control, or sudden weakness in the legs, means the emergency room right away. For a family in Highlands Ranch or Englewood, that means the nearest ER. Without those signs, the outlook is good: Children's Hospital Colorado says surgery is very uncommon for children's back pain.
How Does Butler Family Health Center Decide Whether Care Fits?
We decide whether care fits your child through the history and exam at the first visit. We ask when the pain began, what makes it worse and whether any of the warning signs above are present. If the exam points to something that needs a medical doctor, we tell you plainly. If it points to ordinary muscle or joint strain, the exam sets the plan.
What a Back Pain Visit Looks Like for a Child or Teen at Butler Family Health Center
A back pain visit for a child or teen at our office follows a simple order. Patient reviews keep returning to two points: Dr. Butler listens and never rushes, and his adjustments are gentle and precise.
- History. Bring what you know: when the pain started, any fall or hit, the sports schedule and how heavy the school bag is.
- Exam. The exam looks for the warning signs listed above.
- Plan. You and your teen hear what the exam found and what is recommended, in plain words.
- Gentle care. Care is gentle, in line with the low-force methods the research describes for children.
- Home exercise. Children's Hospital Colorado lists chiropractic care among the options that support a home exercise program, and says pain typically takes 6 to 8 weeks of consistent exercise to decrease.
Parents who work in Greenwood Village or the Denver Tech Center are in our service area. The office is in Peakview Center on South Quebec Street, and same-day appointments and walk-ins are available.
| Age group | What the research covers | What the exam focuses on |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | AFP lists back pain under 5 as a sign that needs immediate evaluation | A medical doctor's evaluation comes first |
| 5 to 9 | Under 10, most reported events were mild and brief; moderate or severe risk is unknown | Gentle, low-force care and a close check for warning signs |
| 10 to 12 | Stiffness, tight hamstrings and a weak core are the common causes | Sports load, backpack weight, posture and flexibility |
| 13 to 18 | A 2018 adolescent trial found better pain relief when manipulation was added to exercise | How long pain has lasted and any sign of spondylolysis or scoliosis |
Where to start, by situation:
- If your teen strained their back at practice and shows none of the warning signs, then call or text us for a same-day appointment.
- If your child's back has ached for a few days after a heavy school week, then book an exam so the cause is checked, not guessed.
- If the pain has lasted more than about a month, wakes your child at night or comes with any sign on the list above, then see a medical doctor first and book with us once serious causes are ruled out.
How Much Soreness Is Normal After a Child's or Teen's Adjustment
Mild soreness that fades quickly is the most commonly reported reaction after a child's adjustment. The 2020 rapid review found that most reported events in children under 10 were mild and transient.
Call us if soreness grows instead of easing, and get medical care right away for any of the warning signs above. If your teen has a game or meet coming up at one of the Cherry Creek district high schools, mention it at the visit so the plan fits the schedule. Our article on how long soreness lasts after a back adjustment covers timing in more detail.
Why Centennial Families Choose Butler Family Health Center for a Child's Back Pain
Families choose Butler Family Health Center for a child's back pain because the care is gentle and getting in is easy:
- An exam with Dr. Chris Butler, D.C., a Cleveland Chiropractic College graduate and chiropractor since 1996 who treats newborns to seniors
- Pediatric, family and scoliosis chiropractic care under one roof
- Same-day appointments and walk-ins, so a back injury from a game does not have to wait (see how same-day back pain visits work)
- Preferred provider for Anthem, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cofinity, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and others, plus cash plans for families without insurance or with high deductibles
- 4.9 stars on Google from more than 70 reviews
Eric R. wrote, "Dr. Chris Butler is exceptional. Very gentle when getting adjusted." Families come to us from Dove Valley, Southglenn and Highlands Ranch, among other communities.
The Bottom Line
For most kids and teens with ordinary back pain, gentle non-surgical care is a reasonable option when it starts with a careful exam. Serious problems are rare in the research, the evidence on results is still limited, and a missed serious cause is a concern. Night pain, fever, numbness, bladder or bowel changes, pain past a month or any back pain under age 5 means a medical doctor first. For everything else, call or text Butler Family Health Center at (303) 741-2444 and ask how non-surgical back pain treatment in Centennial fits your child.