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Injury Information
Geisinger Sports Medicine - Get Back in the Game
Lower Back Pain
The problem of lower back pain plagues hundreds of thousands of athletes throughout high school, semi-pro, and professional sports.
Common in sports such as football, soccer, golf, rowing, and gymnastics, lower back pain can be acute or chronic and can seriously inhibit performance and daily movement if left untreated.
The spine is a very intricate network of nerves, muscles, and bones that is easily susceptible to injury. Composed of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar areas, the spine is the central command center for movement, sending and receiving signals between parts of the body and the brain. The lumbar, or lower back area is forced to absorb the most impact and pressure as it supports the bulk of an athlete’s weight.
Although the spine is protected to a degree with the help of spinal discs, factors like hard impact, falling injury, malnutrition, and dehydration can damage this system of protection and leave the spine vulnerable. Twisting, bending, and other movements depend on the range of motion provided by the muscles of the lower back. A variety of movements needed in sports can be severely limited when lower back pain strikes.
Lower back pain is a sign that something is amiss with the muscle or skeletal structure.
Causes of lower back pain may include:
- Stress fractures in the bone
- Out-of-place discs
- Arthritis
- Pinched nerve roots
- Sprains
- Bulging discs (disc degeneration)
- Herniations
- Injured muscle tissue
Ignoring lower back pain can worsen the condition that is already causing you pain. In addition to inhibiting your performance, the root cause may also be irritated by bad stretching techniques, improper conditioning, lack of warm-up, twisting, bending, and lifting, and other techniques. In some cases of lower back pain, a simple evaluation and correction of mechanics can help alleviate the problem.
Diagnosing Lower Back Problems
Your physician will use a combination of medical history information, physical exam, and X-ray images to find the root cause of lower back pain. An MRI test can help hone in on specific abnormalities, and a bone scan may be needed to uncover stress fractures or other bone problems.
If you are an athlete with lower back pain, contact a Pennsylvania sports medicine specialist right away.
Concussion
A concussion is a condition of the brain characterized by disorientation or loss of consciousness. Most of us know someone who has suffered a concussion resulting from impact to the head. When we think of concussions, we think of minor and temporary injuries. But concussions may pose a great danger if left undiscovered or untreated.
A concussion happens when the brain is forced against the skull bone in an impact. Although there is cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain to protect it from small impacts, a sudden or heavy impact can mean serious injury to the soft brain tissue.
Athletes who’ve taken a hard head impact, with or without a helmet, may suffer a concussion. It is very important to see a doctor when a hard blow occurs to make sure there is no bleeding in the brain or permanent brain damage. The majority of sports concussions are temporary and mild, but it is better to be safe than sorry. With mild concussions, usually a period of ample rest is all that is required for the healing process.
With severe concussions, victims are at risk for serious mental and physical impairments. The brain is the control center for physical movement, mood, emotion, behavior, and your senses, and depending on what area of the brain suffered impact, any of these areas can be affected.
Signs of a head injury may include:
- Confusion
- Amnesia
- Headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
- Drowsiness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unequal pupil size
- Convulsions
- Unusual eye movements
- Slurred speech
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Poor concentration/confusion
- Memory problems
- Loss of senses
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Balance and coordination problems
Symptoms may be immediate or delayed, so it is important to undergo a physical exam and MRI if brain damage is suspected.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a sports condition, seen commonly in tennis and other racquet sports, involving deterioration of the elbow tendons.
The tendons surrounding the elbow serve as anchors for the muscles that guide movement of the wrist and hand.
Signs of tennis elbow may include:
- Tenderness of the elbow
- Elbow pain
- Pain while moving the elbow or wrist
- Burning pain on the outer elbow
- Progressive pain
- Pain while lifting
Resolution of tennis elbow is usually achieved without surgery, although in severe cases where conservative measures are unsuccessful, it may be recommended.
Treatment may include:
- Rest
- Ice packs
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Stretching and strengthening exercises
- Orthotics (braces and splints)
- Physiotherapy
- Ultrasound therapy
- Activity restriction
- Surgery to remove damaged tendon tissue and reattached tendon to bone
Learn more about injuries and how to read your body. Call or email Geisinger Sports Medicine today for your personalized consultation with a sports injury physician.
Geisinger Sports Medicine Facility
1-866-414-4988
Orthopaedic Services-Woodbine Lane
Corner of Woodbine Lane & Route 11
Danville, PA 17822 MC 52-12
Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
1-800-921-1467
1000 East Mountain Blvd.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
Geisinger Medical Center
1-800-275-6401
100 N. Academy Avenue
Danville, PA 17822