Sports and Back Pain: Are They Compatible? Prevention and Treatment of Athlete's Lower Back Pain

Sports, often seen as beneficial to health, can sometimes cause back pain. Nearly 80% of adults experience back pain, or low back pain, at some point in their lives. This pain, with multiple origins, is frequently due to excessive strain on the spine and lumbar muscles, a problem that athletes, subjected to intense stresses, are particularly vulnerable to.

Athlete's low back pain can not only affect performance and motivation but also quality of life and psychological balance, potentially leading to severe complications such as herniated discs or stress fractures.

It's important to prevent low back pain in athletes through appropriate practices and habits tailored to their physical activity, and to know how to treat this pain if it occurs, as well as how to safely return to sports.

In this article, we will discuss the understanding, prevention, and treatment of low back pain in athletes, providing advice based on scientific data and expert recommendations to prevent and relieve back pain.

Understanding Athlete's Low Back Pain

Definition and Symptoms of Low Back Pain

Low back discomfort is characterized by sensations in the lower back, from the last ribs to the buttocks. Depending on the duration and intensity of these sensations, it can be classified as acute or chronic.

It can lead to various symptoms, including stiffness, spasms, movement restrictions, radiating sensations to the lower limbs, or even neurological signs. Low back discomfort is termed common if it is not caused by a specific disease such as an infection, tumour, fracture, or inflammation.

Common Causes of Low Back Pain in Athletes

In athletes, low back pain can be caused by several factors often related to sports practice. The main causes include:

• Excessive or inappropriate mechanical stresses on the spine and lumbar muscles, such as shocks, vibrations, repetitive movements, or awkward postures.
• Muscular or ligamentous disorders, leading to incorrect force distribution and tension on the spine.
• Mobility or joint stability deficits, limiting the absorption and dissipation of stresses.
• Anatomical or functional abnormalities of the spine, such as scoliosis or hyperlordosis.
• Direct or indirect traumas, such as a fall or twist.
• Psychological or emotional factors, influencing pain perception and effort tolerance.

High-Risk Sports for Low Back Pain

The risk of low back pain varies by sport. Particularly risky sports include:

• Contact sports (rugby, American football, judo, boxing), exposing to violent shocks.
• Throwing sports (javelin, discus, hammer, baseball), intensely engaging trunk muscles.
• Racket sports (tennis, badminton, squash), requiring abrupt spine movements.
• Running and athletics (long-distance, middle-distance, trail running), generating repeated impacts, especially on uneven surfaces.
• Strength sports (weightlifting, bodybuilding, CrossFit), involving repeated lifting of heavy loads.
• Flexion sports (gymnastics, dance, yoga), demanding large ranges of spine motion.

Preventing Low Back Pain in Athletes

Good Sporting Practices to Avoid Low Back Pain

To effectively prevent low back pain in athletes, it is crucial to adopt suitable sporting practices, respecting several recommendations:

• Choose a sport matching one's level, age, and physical capabilities.
• Vary activities to work different muscle groups and prevent overloading a specific body part.
• Adopt good posture and careful movement techniques, avoiding abrupt movements, twists, and excessive back flexions.
• Use appropriate and adapted equipment, such as shock-absorbing shoes, a properly adjusted bike, or a correctly sized racket.
• Strictly follow safety instructions and guidelines from coaches or instructors.
• Listen to your body and stop the activity in case of pain or fatigue.
• Consult a doctor or physiotherapist if low back pain persists.

Recommended and Discouraged Sports

The choice of sport can impact the risk of lower back issues. Some sports are better for back health, while others may exacerbate lower back problems. Here is a list of recommended sports and those to avoid if you have low back concerns:

The Role of Warm-Up and Muscle Strengthening

Warm-up before any physical activity is essential. It prepares the body for exertion, increases body temperature and blood circulation, and improves muscle flexibility. This minimizes the risk of injuries and optimizes performance.

The warm-up phase should be progressive, suited to the activity and its duration, including mobilization exercises, cardiovascular stimulation, muscle strengthening, and stretching, especially for the most stressed areas such as the back and lower limbs.

Muscle strengthening plays a key role in preventing low back pain by consolidating the muscles supporting the spine, particularly the abdominals, dorsals, glutes, and lower back muscles. It also corrects any muscular imbalances that can cause back pain.

Strengthening should be a regular practice, complementary to sports activities, always adapted to the athlete's capabilities and goals. It is essential to follow principles of progression and recovery and to seek guidance from professionals for targeted and appropriate advice.

Treatment and Return to Sports After Low Back Pain

Diagnosis and Medical Follow-Up

Faced with low back pain, it is crucial to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis and to rule out any serious pathology such as fractures, infections, tumors, or inflammations. The clinical examination includes a detailed history, posture observation, muscle and joint palpation, mobility and sensitivity tests, and if necessary, strength and reflex tests.

If needed, the doctor may prescribe additional examinations such as X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, or MRI. The doctor may also refer the patient to a physiotherapist, who will conduct an in-depth evaluation of lumbar function. The physiotherapist will then develop a personalized rehabilitation program using manual techniques, exercises, massages, cryotherapy, and electrostimulation. These methods aim to relieve pain, improve mobility, strengthen muscles, and prevent relapses.

Careful medical and physiotherapy follow-up is essential to ensure continuous improvement of low back pain and guarantee a return to sports under the best conditions.

Treatments Available for Athlete's Low Back Pain

Treatment of low back pain in athletes is based on several approaches:

• Continuing or resuming physical activity as much as possible, avoiding prolonged immobilization which could harm the back and encourage persistent pain.
• Pain management using pharmacological methods (analgesics, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants) or non-pharmacological methods (heat or cold application, acupuncture, hypnosis, pain relief belts), strictly following prescriptions and potential contraindications.
• Correcting risk factors such as heavier person, smoking, stress, inappropriate postures, or poorly adjusted movements that can maintain or worsen low back pain.
• Therapeutic education to inform the patient about their condition, teach them to manage their pain, adopt appropriate daily and sporting gestures, and prevent relapses.

Phases of Resuming Physical Activity

The resumption of sports after low back pain should be gradual and personalized, considering the severity of the injury, the sport practiced, the performance level, and the athlete's goals. General guidelines for returning to physical activity rely on clinical and functional criteria:

Phase 1: Daily tasks should be performed without pain, including walking easily, bending and twisting without difficulty, and moving from lying to standing without assistance.

Phase 2: Strengthening and mobility exercises for the trunk should be performed without pain. Running on flat surfaces, jumping, changing direction easily, and performing sport-specific gestures at moderate intensity should be achievable.

Phase 3: Power and speed exercises for the trunk should be executed without pain. Running on various surfaces, jumping, changing direction at full intensity, and performing sport-specific gestures at maximum intensity should be possible.

Phase 4: Full resumption of the sport should occur without pain, performance drop, apprehension, or compensating. Following prevention and monitoring principles to reduce the risk of relapse is also essential.

Conclusion

Practicing physical activity despite back pain is perfectly feasible, provided essential precautions are taken to preserve the health of your spine.

Athlete's low back pain, although common, can be effectively avoided, treated, and overcome with targeted intervention from a doctor and physiotherapist.

It is crucial for athletes to select sports appropriate to their profile, enrich their routine with various exercises, maintain impeccable posture and technique, equip themselves with suitable equipment, perform warm-ups and muscle strengthening exercises, listen to their bodies, and consult a healthcare professional at the first sign of pain.

Following recommendations for gradual return to sports, adjusted based on progress and performance level, is also important.

Physical exercise contributes to our well-being, but its benefits are optimal when done thoughtfully and measuredly. Make movement your ally for a healthy back and to achieve your sporting goals!

FAQ

How to quickly treat low back pain?

To quickly remedy low back pain, it is recommended to take painkillers like paracetamol or anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen. Applying heat to the affected area and maintaining physical activity with appropriate exercises are also effective strategies.

What sport to practice in case of low back pain?

If you suffer from low back pain, prioritize gentle activities such as swimming, cycling, walking, core strengthening, and yoga. These sports help reduce joint pressure, stretch involved muscles.

Proven Effectiveness

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