Lower Back Pain after Soccer- Top 3 Main Reasons
Statistics reveal that about 36% of soccer players suffer from back pain at some point in their careers. As an athlete your body is exposed to intense training and repetitive muscle movement that could potentially result in severe injury, worse yet end your career.
Luckily, with the right treatment and recovery plan, you should be able to get back into league action soon enough. We’ll be looking at the 3 main reasons for lower back pain and how to remedy the same.
The Back Anatomy
Naturally, the back is a constitution of multiple nerves, spinal vertebrae, and discs that communally serve to promote function in this area. If it were to be subdivided, we’d have the upper back connected to the neck, mid-back, and the lower back, which is the lumbar region.
The last is arguably the most sensitive as it supports most of your body weight and allows the tilting, bending, and turning that comes with playing ball. In between the vertebrae are cushioning pads known are discs. They act as shock absorbers owing to the jelly-like fluid in their center.
When back pains begin to creep in, it likely is that the fluid is diminishing such that there’s no smooth action between the vertebral bodies. As a result, landing an injury is easy.
Why You Have Back Pain after Playing Soccer
Experiencing pain runs deeper than a muscle strain/ sprain. The severity of the accident will determine what kind of treatment you may need to undertake. Here are some of the common injuries related to lower back pain.
1. Degenerated / Herniated Disc
In other terms, you may hear the condition referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc. It is when the cushion pads slide out of position to push past the outer annulus ring. This could happen as a result of an overload causing the discs to wear out gradually. Age too might speed up the degeneration which explains why it’s a bit common with older players.
Having a slipped disc presses on the sciatic nerve and may result in permanent nerve damage if not treated early on. A common symptom extends to feeling weakness down the back of your calf.
In cases where the condition isn’t detrimental, a dose of OTC drugs might do the trick however an arthroscopic surgery may be needful.
2. Spondylolysis or Spondylolisthesis
This relates to the vertebral along the spine particularly a fracture on the pars interarticularis. This part is a bony projection found on the back of the spinal vertebrae which could be stressed by sudden twists, movements, and arching of the back.
Repetitive flexing takes a toll on the lower back thereby causing a sharp pain that could descend to the buttocks. If you happen to detect either one of these symptoms it might be an indicator of spondylolysis.
3. Structural Disorders
Sometimes non-related field causes might also be a trigger for chronic back pain. For instance conditions such as leg length discrepancy (LLD), sacroiliac joint dysfunction, or asymmetry of the pelvis have little to do with field accidents.
LLD relates to a limb disparity where one leg grows slower than the other. It might be that you were born with it or a childhood incident provoked it. Rotation of the sacroiliac joint happens when the ligaments connected to your lower spine are either overly tight or too loose. While pelvis misalignment could be attributed to sudden twists anywhere in or outside the field.
A good remedy with such is physical therapy to restore strength and maximum function within affected muscles. The use of leg inserts or training adjustments might prove resourceful as the limbs regain full function.
How to Treat the Pain
Before you can go ahead to implement any treatment plan, a diagnosis has to be done to discover the underlying condition.
Disclosing medical history and running image tests might be the best approach to revealing abnormalities in the lower back. Depending on the symptoms, your physician should advise exactly what tests to be run and how many. These might include X-rays, MRI, a bone scan, CT scan amongst others if any of the above conditions are suspicious.
As for the treatment, anything from home remedies, pain meds, epidural steroid injections, to correction surgery is on the table. Anti-inflammatory drugs are good for dealing with acute pain and coupled with enough rest, you may be back in field action sooner than later.
With more invasive procedures such as surgery, it might take longer and need the help of therapy to get you back on your feet. However, with a steady recovery plan, you shouldn't be too worried.
Whatever the approach, the important thing is to keep your back mobile even if it’s with a bit of moderation. Exercising increases blood flow thus stimulating the spine to recover faster. The longer you stay in bed or immobile, the higher the chances of increasing blood clots which will only work to keep you down longer.
To be on the safe side, consult with your therapist or chiropractor on what movements are safe, doable, and how often to do them.
Ways to Prevent Injury
Whether you just love soccer or play it as a profession, it might be impractical to completely rule out the chances of an injury. However, there are ways to protect your body and back from serious accidents.
For a start;
Do enough warm-ups beforehand to stretch your muscles   and get your body active.
Train for strength and flexibility as a way of conditioning your body.
Avoid strenuous movements and overloading the spine   with improper body mechanics.
Use correct postures and form while out in the field.
Take breaks.
Conclusion
Lower back pain doesn't have to start as a full-blown condition. It might be a series of multiple lesser injuries that add up to become critical. Either way, the important thing is to arrange for a visit with your doctor and find out what treatment plans are available for the problem at hand. Starting early will spare you longer downtime.
 About the Author:
This article is written by Ismail (izy) Farah, Director at Back Restored. Back Restored is here to help people, who suffer from back pain, in finding relief and live in comfort. Though one of the most common issues in the world, back pains can affect your productivity and how you live your life. When you browse through their website, you will find various origins of back pains, how you can get rid of them naturally and what products, treatments, therapies, exercises can help in getting relief.