Do you ever encounter pain in your lower back after a game of soccer? Soccer playing can often increase the risk of lower back pain as players are required to repeat flexible movements and rotations. They are also more likely to experience collisions and falls during the game.
Pain in the lower back can be a common problem after physical activities. In many cases, it could heal on its own or at most require at-home care. If you are not used to intense physical movements, a game of soccer is likely to cause you back pain.
It is recommended that you keep physically active in your routine by starting and ending each physical activity session with simple back stretches and warm-ups to prevent such pains. Maintaining a healthy weight would also help you avoid back injuries.
However, if your do experience pain after playing this kind of sport, here are a few points to keep in mind and refer to when you check what could be causing you back pain:
Muscle Spasms
A muscle spasm is probably the most common problem that causes lower back pain for soccer players, football players or athletes. This injury can result from a hard fall, a quick twist, a hard hit or a side tackle.
You can’t play football without going through any of these moves, which is why muscle spasms can happen to anyone, but they are not permanent. When the body receives hard physical contacts, especially if it’s sudden, you may feel a specific stiffness in the affected muscles.
To avoid such soccer injuries, it is recommended that you warm up properly, learn proper soccer techniques and do core strengthening exercises. Having weak core muscles or back muscles may facilitate a back injury to the muscle. Additionally, it is crucial to maintain a good posture to prevent lower back injuries.
Stress Fractures
Stress fractures are minor cracks in the bone that are usually caused by overuse of the lower back or pelvis by frequent injuries received to that specific area.
Falling hard on your back is a common reason for soccer players to develop a stress fracture in their lower back. More pain may be experienced if the bearer involves himself in physical movements such as running or jumping.
Most often, stress fractures happen to teenagers engaged in physical activities. The fracture can be recovered from by resting sufficiently, limiting physical activities, such as taking a short break from soccer, and avoiding movement or stretching of the back.
Additionally, people with osteoporosis or weak bones are also more prone to developing stress fractures after events such as a slight hit or fall. In this case, it is essential to get full rest and reduce any type of movement as much as possible to get a speedy recovery.
Although not a fracture, spondylolisthesis is a condition related to the bones and it can also affect sportspeople. It causes one of the vertebral bodies to slip forward and requires care and special attention in addition to resting.
Disc Herniation
Although not always, a disc herniation can be counted as a severe injury and may require to be treated immediately through medical procedures. It has the potential to cause immense pain and occurs when the inner material of the disc slips through a crack in the outer layer of the disc.
Disc herniations may occur due to overuse of a specific region of the spine and as such, when it occurs it is recommended to rest your spine.
A herniated disk can befall in any section of the spine and disturb nearby tissues. Disc herniation usually is caused in the lumbar spine. When it occurs in this region, it can lead to low back pain that can spread to the thighs and calves. When it occurs in the upper back or neck, it can cause neck pain, which can also extend towards the arm. The pain may also be accompanied by other symptoms such as a stiff back or neck, as well as weakness in the back or limbs.
Treatment Options
If you suffer from pain caused by either a problematic disc, muscle problems, or by other spinal problems that are not linked with any kind of bone fractures (no matter how minor), there are additional steps you can take to fix and prevent the pain.
One of the best solutions is to ensure your spine is not compressed due to the stress placed on it through strenuous physical activity. You can decompress your spine safely and effectively with the help of a special orthopaedic device called the Backrack.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Device
Author: Spinal Backrack
