Returning to Sports After Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is a widespread condition in athletes. Athletes are more prone to lower back pain due to strenuous work. Strenuous activity strains the back and affects even the finest and most fit athletes. Lets us investigate how easy it is Returning to Sports After Lower Back Pain for an athelete. Though the entire spine is used when playing sports, it is estimated that 5-10 percent of all athletic injuries are related to the lower spine.

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Lower back pain is a widespread condition in athletes. Athletes are more prone to lower back pain due to strenuous work. Strenuous activity strains the back and affects even the finest and most fit athletes. Lets us investigate how easy it is Returning to Sports After Lower Back Pain for an athelete. Though the entire spine is used when playing sports, it is estimated that 5-10 percent of all athletic injuries are related to the lower spine.

Lower back pain limits their playing time and efficacy in the field. An imbalance in the body posture due to lower back pain also puts pressure on the other body parts and causes them strain.

Almost all of us including professional and competitive athletes are at risk of developing low back pain at some point in our life. It is the fifth most common reason for clinicians’ visits that affects almost 70-80% of the population once in their lifetime.

All sports can develop lower back pain, whether football, basketball, ice skating, tennis, skiing, soccer, running or golf. Long-term use of medications and alternative techniques drains you out and badly affects your spirit to treat your lower back pain. Here is a complete guide if you are an athlete facing a lower back pain problem and want to return to your sports as soon as possible.

What is lower back pain in athletes?

Lower back pain in athletes is a symptom, not a disease, and covers multiple medical conditions. European Guidelines for prevention of lower back pain define low back pain as “pain and discomfort, localized below the lower ribs margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain”. Is it possible for an athelete Returning to Sports After Lower Back Pain. We will check it out today.

Based on duration, lower back pain in athletes is usually categorized into three types; acute, sub-acute, and chronic. Acute low back pain is an episode of lower back pain that lasts for less than six weeks, sub-acute is between 6 and 12 weeks, and chronic is for 12 weeks or more.

What causes lower back pain in athletes?

The majority of athletes experiencing lower back pain have a benign cause. Lower back pain in athletes is mostly due to soft tissue injuries. It is estimated that some causes like ligament sprains, muscle strains, and soft tissue injuries account for as much as 97% of the reasons behind lower back pain in the general adult population. These injuries makes it difficult Returning to Sports After Lower Back Pain

Lumbar strain: Lumbar strain is the most common cause of lower back pain in athletes. [4] A sudden movement, jerking motion, or an over-extension of the lower back muscles usually causes one or more back muscles, tendons, or ligaments to stretch or tear, that can leads to lower back muscle strain. It is mainly at L4 – 5 and L5 –S1 levels.

Herniated disc: It is another common cause of developing lower back pain. A herniated disc puts pressure on the disc leading the outer fiber to rip and the nucleus to rupture. It results in numbness and lower back pain.

Lumbar spondylolysis is significant, especially in inner linemen and gymnastics, due to repetitive hyperextension movements.

Trauma: Trauma to the lower spine is also for lower back pain. It needs specific investigations and urgent checkups by a clinician.

Some mechanical reasons for developing lower back pain are past injuries that are not healed, incorrect posture, and poor physical conditioning. Minor injuries are frequent conditions that athletes experience. Loss of activity or specific exercises due to lower back pain worsens the situation.

Do you know the PEMF device relieves lower back pain in athletes?

PEMF therapy is a safe and effective way to relieve lower back pain, especially in athletes. It is the preferred choice for many clinicians and healthcare providers due to its beneficial healing role. It not only relieves lower back pain but also repairs damaged cells.

PEMF therapy successfully addresses the impaired chemistry of injured cells, improving health. It provides electromagnetic frequency to the damaged cells in the body and is like charging a drained battery. PEMF therapy can help an athelete Returning to Sports After Lower Back Pain. PEMF therapy benefits patients of all ages, gender, and ethnic backgrounds.

After a hard workout or injury, don’t suffer in silence. Let DCcure pain relief PEMF device help you reduce post-workout soreness and lower back pain by using it on affected areas. DCcure is a clinically proven PEMF device for lower back pain relief. It has proven its efficacy and safety in a clinical trial.

How to treat lower back pain in athletes?

Successful treatment options must address the underlying causes along with pain relief. That’s why treating low back pain in athletes is quite tricky. The stepwise approach is the best way to relieve lower back pain in athletes.

First step: It is advised that as you suspect lower back pain, the very first choice is to get examined by a healthcare provider. He will rule out red flag signs and severe health problems. Athletes’ treatment of lower back pain is usually conservative, which refers to non-surgical methods.

Second step: Non-pharmacological options are preferred over medications. These might include physical therapy, PEMF therapy, massage, strengthening exercises, and sometimes heat therapy.

Third step: In the next move, you can use anti-inflammatory medication. Over-the-counter pain killers are the first choice. These are helpful to relieve lower back pain but have side effects in the long term.

Fourth step: If lower back pain is not relieved despite using all other techniques, we can try surgical or invasive procedures.

Can I play sports with lower back pain?

Return-to-play guidelines should be followed for a better recovery. It is the most commonly encountered question, but there is no simple answer. It is still debatable whether a person with lower back pain can participate in sports or not. Return-to-play recommendations are variable for different conditions.
Return to play after low back pain depends on the nature of the injury. Seeking earlier pain relief may result in an earlier return to play and prevent more severe damage.
It is pretty comfortable for most athletes to resume their sports activities after sufficient pain relief and restoration of range of motion. But some with spinal fusion are typically restricted from participating in full-contact sports.