How can I cure my back injuries from playing sports?

Doctor's Answer

Back injuries are certainly troublesome and can limit one's enjoyment and participation in sport.

Unfortunately without more specific information about your sport and the area of back pain it is hard to give you a more thorough answer, but perhaps I can give some simple tips:

1. Consider when the pain starts - is it during the activity or after? If the former, it might be more due to technique, while with the latter, it might be due to conditioning and your overall strength

2. Do you get any bladder, bowel or sensory changes with the onset of pain? In this case it might be more neurological in nature and hence a more prompt assessment might be required.

3. Have you had any night pain, weight loss or change in appetite? If so, again, please seek a prompt assessment.

4. Is the pain worse with extension or flexion? With the latter, this might be a muscular or joint issue whereas with the other it might be a disc or nerve problem (broadly speaking).

There have been a few other questions that I have answered about back pain and these might be of use to you:

What should I do next if my back hurts when I bend forward

What should I do next for lower back pain that occured on running?

If you are concerned about the pain, options for assessment/treatment include:

1. Consulting a Sports/MSK physician

2. Consulting a physiotherapist

3. Considering something like acupuncture or cupping

It may transpire that further investigation is required after your assessment and hence be prepared for this.

BW
Dr Dinesh

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