With a confirmed diagnosis, we knew what had to happen. Unlike many types of back pain that respond to movement and strength work, pars fractures need proper rest. So for 12 weeks, she stopped all sport completely to let the bone heal. That rest is absolutely critical for this type of injury.

But that doesn’t mean we sat back and did nothing.

Throughout her rest period, we gave her a simple, focused program to keep her body strong. She worked on her glutes, adductors, hamstrings, and some basic core strength, just enough to keep everything switched on without stressing the spine. She did it all at home, nothing fancy, but incredibly effective.

By week 12, she felt fantastic. Her hips were strong. Her core was ready. And most importantly, she had no back pain.

We eased her back into activity in a careful, structured way. First, a bit of walk jog intervals. Then more jogging. Then short sprints. Over six weeks, she built up to full sprint sessions, and her body handled everything beautifully.

By the end, she was back on the track with zero pain and total confidence.

But here’s the most important part of this story. Her recovery only went this smoothly because her mum knew something wasn’t right. She didn’t settle for rest and painkillers. She trusted her instincts, took action, and got her daughter the proper care she needed. That’s what made the difference.

Teenagers aren’t always great at telling us when something’s wrong, especially when it comes to pain. That’s why it’s so important to notice the patterns and triggers behind their symptoms.

Here are some of the most common warning signs that your teen’s back pain might be more than just “growing pains”:

• Back pain after sport or exercise – especially if it comes on during or shortly after training and keeps coming back.

• Pain that shows up during the school day – sitting in class or carrying a heavy backpack may trigger symptoms that weren’t obvious before.

• Worsening pain over time – rather than getting better, the pain gets more frequent, more intense, or starts to affect daily life.

• Pain that’s now affecting sport or P.E. – they might be hesitating in tackles, avoiding training, or coming off early during matches.

• Back pain that’s been present for more than a couple of weeks – any pain that lingers longer than expected, especially in young people, deserves proper attention.

• Stiffness or discomfort in the morning – it’s not normal for teens to wake up with a stiff or sore back.

Teenagers get growing pains. They get stiff. They get sore. And too often, when they complain about back pain, they get dismissed, told they’re being soft, that it’s just tight muscles, or that they need to stretch more.

But adolescent backs are different. Their bones are still developing. Their growth plates are still open. And if they’re highly active, their spines can be under a lot of pressure, especially in sports like sprinting, gymnastics, or football.

Pars fractures are common in teenagers, and when missed or ignored, they can become chronic problems in adult life. We’ve seen countless adults in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s with long term back issues that started when they were teens. And when we scan them, guess what we find? A pars fracture that was never diagnosed or managed properly when they were younger.

Getting the right help early doesn’t just fix the problem now. It can save years of pain and frustration down the line.

So if your son or daughter keeps complaining of back pain after sport, or starts changing how they move, how they play, or how they sit at school, don’t brush it off. It might be nothing. But it might be something that deserves a closer look

Joe Sharp

BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy