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The aging spine in sports
Joanne Borg-Stein1, Lauren Elson, Erik Brand
1Department of PM&R, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA. jborgstein@partners.org
Clinics in Sports Medicine
|June 5, 2012
Summary
Masters athletes experiencing low back pain should modify sports based on pain source. Continued athletic participation offers significant health benefits, outweighing spinal degeneration risks, with symptoms guiding activity choices.
Area of Science:
- Sports medicine
- Orthopedics
- Geriatric medicine
Background:
- Masters athletes often experience low back pain from various sources.
- Understanding the specific cause of pain is crucial for appropriate management.
- Continued physical activity is vital for masters athletes' overall health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide guidance for masters athletes on managing low back pain.
- To emphasize the importance of sport-specific modifications and training.
- To highlight the benefits of continued athletic participation for health and quality of life.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on low back pain in masters athletes.
- Analysis of biomechanical forces in different sports.
- Correlation of radiographic findings with symptomatic presentation.
Main Results:
- Discogenic pain necessitates avoiding combined rotational and compressive forces.
- Facet-mediated pain requires modification of excessive extension and rotation.
- Flexibility, strength, endurance, and core control optimization are critical.
- Symptoms, not imaging, should guide activity modification decisions.
Conclusions:
- Health benefits of sports participation in masters athletes outweigh potential spinal degeneration risks.
- Masters athletes should be encouraged to remain active and fit.
- Personalized activity modification based on pain source and symptoms is key for sustained participation.
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