Low Back Pain in the Athlete
Monday, January 8th, 2018, 8:00 amWhether it is basketball, football, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, etc. you have most likely fallen down more than once. We all know that athletes are tough, and are always told to “get back in the game”, so you dust yourself off and get right back up and continue playing.
But, a fall should not be ignored. If you start feeling a slight twinge in your back it will likely get worse over time. The first step should be to see the trainer and get some exercises to do. Sometimes this helps, sometimes it doesn’t.
If the exercises don’t help right away, it is most likely an injury that is often called “twisted pelvis syndrome”. During a fall the pelvis bones (which function like handlebars on a bicycle), can get twisted out of place. Often a specific joint, the Sacroillac (SI) Joint is knocked out of alignment. This causes pain and sometimes weakness in the lower back, hip, and leg.
The good news is that with advanced techniques, we can get your pelvis back in alignment. It is important to see a physical therapist who has been specifically trained to handle this problem properly. Physical therapy is the most common treatment, but sometimes the therapist will recommend a steroid injection to the SI joint or the muscles around it to relieve the irritation and swelling.
You don’t have to let back pain keep you from your favorite sport. We are here to help.
The Orthopaedic Institute of Southern IL The Orthopaedic Institute of Western KY
618-997-6800 270-442-9461
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