Sports Then and Now

Back injuries can be common in amateur sports.

Injuries to the back are a common complaint for those participating in amateur sports. They are also often ignored until they start to cause severe pain and discomfort. If treated early, more serious and long-lasting injuries and conditions can be avoided, or their severity drastically reduced. Here are some of the most common injuries and how to prevent them and treat them before they have a bigger impact on your life.

Lower back issues
The lower back is most affected by activities such as weightlifting or jogging that put a consistent amount of strain on this area. This area of the back is the most common to experience injury. Any repetitive motion that uses the lower back muscles can cause trouble. You might not even realize how much you are exerting yourself until it is too late. While sports such as golf may seem low impact, the sport actually requires a lot of twisting and turning, which can lead to strains.

Upper back and spine
Although injuries to the upper back and spine are rarer than those to the lower back, they can be severe when they do occur. A slipped disc occurs when a vertebrae in the spine slips out of place, causing pinched nerves and soreness. Physical activity should be avoided and a physician consulted immediately if this is suspected. A chiropractic clinic is the most readily used resource for treatment of back injuries. Your chiropractor may prescribe such treatments as rest, strengthening exercises, and wearing a brace during the healing process.

Strained muscles and ligaments
Although strained muscles and ligaments can occur when you least expect it, they are most often caused by too much exertion, lack of proper technique, hits and bumps, and not warming up properly. Prevention is easier than dealing with the pain caused by such injuries.

Prevention of back injuries
A little prevention can go a long way towards a more comfortable experience with your sport of choice. Here are some ways to minimize your risk of injury.

Stretching and warming up
When you rush right into aggressive exercise, your muscles don’t have time to become loose and limber before experiencing heavy use. Stretching them suddenly can cause trauma and soreness. Allowing time to perform muscle stretches and a period of light exercise will give your muscles and ligaments a chance to relax and become more responsive to the stresses you are about to put upon them.

Proper training and conditioning
When first starting a sport it is easy to get very excited and try to do too much before you are ready. This increases the chances of severe overexertion that can lead to back trouble. Avoiding the urge to take it too fast is essential to preventing injuries. For example, if you have taken up jogging, start out with a one-mile run instead of trying for three miles the first time. Increase the distance or time spent jogging a little each time as you gain strength and endurance. This will also increase the likelihood that you will continue doing your sport of choice rather than giving it up due to injuries, discomfort, and the feelings of failure that can come with setting your fitness goals too high too fast.

Treatment of strains
The most common treatment for a strain is to avoid physical activities that put increased strain on the area causing the pain. Ice packs and muscle rubs may also be used for short-term relief. If pain does not go away or worsens, the advice of a physician should be sought to see if the injury is something more severe than just a strain.

The importance of prompt care
An untreated back injury can have an enormous impact on your life and those around you. It can interfere with work and result in a loss of pay, make it impossible or painful to spend time with your children and loved ones, participate in the sports and hobbies you love, and it can lead to increased medical costs and care. The good news is that many back injuries can be treated quickly and easily and result in a full recovery. Activities that put stress on the area of the injury should be reduced or eliminated until a recovery is made. Additional stress can lead to a much more severe and hard-to-treat injury. Pain that does not go away or gets worse should be treated by a trained medical professional, such as those at Healthquest Chiropractic Detroit.