Back problems: not just a part of “getting old”

Posted November 2, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: His Fitness, Strength Training, Injuries & Rehab, Alt. Therapies, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

Ever turn on ESPN and watch elite sports such as golf, tennis, or rowing? It looks fairly simple, just a bunch of well-dressed people swinging relatively lightweight instruments without having to run or train at the gym. There is no physical contact, so there is not much of a chance of injuring yourself, right? WRONG!

A study of thirty-three young, elite tennis players prove otherwise. After the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital scanned the spines of these men and women, they were found to have serious problems, although none of these adolescents reported any back pain. A whopping eighty-five percent were found to have spinal abnormalities that range from cysts to fractures in the lumbar spine. On top of these injuries, twenty-three had early-stage joint disease and an additional thirteen had herniated or shriveled discs. Authors of the study think these abnormalities are due to the fact that tennis requires the frequent rotation of the lumbar spine.

Tennis players are not the only athletes who suffer from lower back injuries. Various studies show that many football players, divers, cyclists, rowers, and gymnasts frequently report lower back problems. Surprisingly, golf is the harshest sport on the lower back. Gretchen Reynolds from the New York Times reports that an overwhelming ninety percent of injuries to golfers involve the lower back and eighty percent of professional golfers will miss at least one tournament because of back problems.

What can you do to protect your back? Experts agree that a solid core is the key to reducing serious injury to the back. According to Vijay Vad, a sports medicine specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, “To really include all of the elements that move and stabilize the spine, you have to go from your knees to your nipples. That’s the core.” Strengthening the muscles that surround the front and sides of the spine are essential in stabilizing the back.

Strength by itself is not the answer, though. The authors of the study found that the tennis players were all strong in terms of their tennis muscles, which are primarily the shoulders. However, they rarely visit the weight room, stretch, or cross-train. Their training consists of practicing their stokes.

Michael Higgins, the director of athletic-training education at Towson University in Maryland and the author of several prominent academic articles about back injuries in athletes, provides a solution to developing a strong back. Instead of doing sit-ups (which ultimately compress the lumbar spine), try doing crunches to toughen up the abdominal area.  Vad reports that flexibility reduces the risk of spinal injuries. Studies have shown that athletes with the smallest flexibility range have the highest frequency of back pain. Participating in dance, yoga, and pilates are a good way to increase core flexibility.

So whether you are running laps to train for a marathon, lifting weights to prepare for the next big game, or practicing your swing for the upcoming match, do not forget to take care of your back. You can lose a lot more than the game.

Research sources and for more information: [NY Times]; [picture]