When I practiced massage therapy, clients frequently came to me seeking treatment for lower back pain. Now, as a coach, I see that coaches will encounter many athletes with back pain, as well. In order to best help your clientele, it’s important for coaches to understand the muscles of the back, what can cause back pain, and treatments (after physical therapy, of course). 

Anatomy of the Back

The back is extensive and consists of many muscles that run all the way up to the occipitus. Before going into the musculature, we have to know the vertebral column. The vertebral column consists of seven cervical discs, twelve thoracic discs, five lumbar discs, and then the sacrum, which is a fusion of five discs. 

The discs of the vertebral column gradually get bigger in size, with the cervical spine being the smallest of the disc structures. Cervical discs, thoracic discs, and lumbar discs have similar structures - including the lamina groove, spinous process, body, transverse process, and vertebral foramen. 

The most common piece of back musculature that most people are familiar with is the thoracolumbar aponeurosis. An aponeurosis is a tendon that is a sheet-like structure that is long and cable-like. Other muscular structures of the back include the erector spinae, multifidi and rotatores, longissimus, spinalis thoracis, iliocostalis, serratus posterior inferior, quadratus lumborum, intertransversarii (located between the transverse process), and iliopsoas. Many include iliopsoas with the muscles of the hip area, but when it comes to back pain, often the source of the pain comes from the psoas (that’s short for iliopsoas). We will also examine how the lower body muscles, like the hamstrings, have a huge impact on back pain. 

Types of Back Pain and Injuries

There are many types of back pain, so we will go over sports-related injuries that occur with back pain and their symptoms:

As of right now there is no definitive cause of this disorder. Spondyloysis can be found in children as a bone defect or in adults as an injury. Spondyloysis is commonly found in those who participate in sports that have frequent hyperextension of the lumbar spine. Spondylolysis can be asymptomatic, but if symptoms occur the condition usually feels like chronic back pain. The pain can stem from mechanical (structural) or compression (pressure on the nerves). Suggested treatment is physical therapy or chiropractic care. 

Preventative Care for Back Pain

There are many treatments for back pain that a physical therapist, doctor, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant, or chiropractor will give you. Whatever the treatment you have elected, you should always follow your practitioners program in its entirety. So the real question becomes what an athlete should do before needing treatment or after completing treatment. 

Preventative care is extremely important for athletes especially if they want to be competitive. Physical therapists, doctors, and chiropractors can catch certain symptoms before they start and begin rehabilitation at the sign of a problem. They can also educate athletes on how to prevent injuries from occurring. 

A study was conducted in the Journal of Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia on the role of chiropractors as educators for preventative back injuries in the work place. In the study, chiropractors lectured participants on spinal injuries and how they could be prevented, including risk factors for injury and workplace awareness (so think gym-place awareness and athlete risk-factors). The cost of reported back injuries went down by 57%. The dollar amount allocated to treatment was $451 in the six months prior to the training from the chiropractors – and only $194 in the first three months after. This is proof that getting educated on caring for your lower back can save your money and your gym performance.

Gym Guide to Low Back Health

Your time in the gym can be valuable in either preventing low back problems or rehabilitating them. But first and foremost, always be cleared by your therapist before going full force into the gym. You must start slowly when coming back from injury. Athletes often feel they can come back to the gym and do a hundred back extensions, when in reality, getting back up to speed is something that must happen slowly. 

There are certain specific things to consider when it comes to lower back health:

• Lower back flexibility to encourage normal curvature of the spine. Without this flexibility, forward and lateral movements are disrupted, which can cause strain on the hamstrings, leading to lower back and hamstring pain.
• Hamstring flexibility allows for anterior rotation (tilt) of the pelvis in forward flexion and posterior rotation in a sitting position. Without this, the pelvis is restricted, which can cause disc compression.
• Hip flexor flexibility can achieve a neutral pelvic position. Those with tight hip flexors have an exaggerated anterior pelvic tilt, which can cause compression.
• Abdominal strength and muscular endurance will maintain proper position of the pelvis and reinforce the back extensor fascia. Weak abdominals exaggerate anterior pelvic tilt causing strain on the back extensor muscles.
• Back extensor strength and endurance provide stability for the spine, maintain posture, and control forward flexion. Weak back muscles increase stress on the spine and can cause compression.

Low back pain can be irritating, but it can be healed. Hopefully proper therapy, a slow pace coming back into fitness, and preventative measures will help athletes have a healthy lower back again. Being pain free is always the goal and if you know you have these issues take the necessary precautions to insure your back is safe.

Photos 1, 2, & 6 courtesy of Shutterstock.

Photo 3 by By OpenStax College [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo 4 by [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo 5 by Hellerhoff (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.