What type of sports injuries can occur to the spine?
Sports injuries of the spine can occur in the neck or low back. Often this involves injuries to the muscles of the spine or the discs of the spine (see section on low back pain and neck pain). In some instances, one can experience pain immediately during a particular sporting activity and stoppage of the activity may be required if the pain is severe. In other cases, pain may some days later. Pain from the muscles which occur a day or two after the injury is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This occurs from inflammation due to tiny tears in the muscles of the spine. This condition is easily treated and gets better with rest and medications.
Injuries to the disc can vary from isolated tears of the lining of the disc (annular tears) to more severe cases where the disc material has come out (slipped disc) and is compressing the spinal nerves (see section on slipped discs). Sports involving repeated hyperextension of the low back can sometimes cause a pars fracture or a pars lysis. This is a fracture of the section of the spine between the joints of the spine. It can be associated with forward slippage of the spinal bone (see section on spondylolisthesis). In patients with osteoporosis (decrease in bone density), a minor fall can cause spinal fractures (see section on spinal fractures). Further investigations may need to be done for persistent pain that does not get better after a sporting injury or if there is any associated nerve symptoms following the sporting injury.
Nerve symptoms that can occur after a sporting injury:
- Pain, tingling, burning or numbness of the arms
- Pain, tingling, burning or numbness of the legs
- Tingling or numbness of the hands or feet
- Weakness of the arms/legs/hands or feet
Types of treatment:
- Physiotherapy
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Injections
- Keyhole, minimally-invasive surgery
