Suffering a stress fracture of the lower back is an unfortunately common sports injury, particularly among young athletes. As it is caused by repeated arching and twisting of the back, it is hardly surprising that it is often caused by sports like cricket, and racket sports.
A stress fracture of the lower back, known technically as Spondylolysis, occurs when too much strain is placed repeatedly on an area of the vertebra known as the Pars Interarticularis. The Pars Interarticularis is a weak point within the vertebra, and is thus the site where stress fractures of the lower back tend to develop.
Common symptoms of Spondylolysis include:
- Low back pain sport
- Low back pain following sport - usually eases with rest
- Pain when extending the spine (arching)
The first step to treatment is to rest from the sporting activity that is causing the pain. You will typically need to rest for around six weeks to give the area time to recover.
This will need to be accompanied by a program of physiotherapy, designed to strengthen the area and improve flexibility.
In most cases this will be enough to affect a complete recovery.
