Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Pain in Adolescents
Summary
Musculoskeletal pain in adolescents encompasses a range of conditions affecting the joints, muscles and soft tissues, with low back, neck and multi-site pain among the most frequently reported. Population surveys suggest that up to half of young people experience pain in at least one region, with a substantial minority reporting persistent or recurrent symptoms that interfere with physical activity, schooling and psychosocial well-being. The onset of musculoskeletal pain during adolescence is influenced by a combination of biomechanical factors, including rapid growth and sports participation, and psychosocial determinants such as stress and health-related quality of life. Longitudinal evidence indicates that early pain episodes may track into adulthood, increasing the risk of chronic pain and associated mental health challenges. The global burden of adolescent musculoskeletal pain underscores the need for standardised measurement tools, targeted prevention strategies and integrated management approaches that combine physical rehabilitation with lifestyle and educational interventions.
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Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Pain in Adolescents publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology of musculoskeletal pain in adolescents across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population who report a specific condition at a particular point in time.
Incidence: The number of new cases of a condition that develop in a defined population over a specified period.
Chronic pain: Persistent or recurrent pain lasting beyond the expected period of tissue healing, commonly defined as exceeding three months.
Cohort study: An observational research design that follows a group of individuals sharing a common characteristic over time to assess links between exposures and outcomes.
Cross-sectional study: An observational study that examines a population at a single point in time to determine the prevalence of outcomes and associated factors.
References
- Musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy (2016).
- Prevalence of chronic pain or analgesic use in children and young people and its long-term impact on substance misuse, mental illness, and prescription opioid use: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (2023).
- Age-Related Differences in the Limited Range of Motion of the Lower Extremity and Their Relation to Low Back Pain in Young Baseball Players: A Cross-Sectional Study of 1215 Players. Sports Medicine - Open (2023).
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