Sports can easily lead to minor or serious injuries – especially contact sports like Football and Hockey. There are a variety of injuries to the spine that can occur in various sports. In this article we will take a look at some of the most common spine injuries that can result from popular sports and discuss treatment options for each.

Whiplash

Most people connect whiplash injuries to car accidents but the injury is not unique to auto accidents. Whiplash can occur anytime the head is jarred quickly and forcefully in an unnatural way. This can easily happen when a player gets tackled in football or checked during a hockey match. Though less likely, it can also happen in other less contact intensive sports like basketball or baseball.

Treatment for whiplash usually begins with non-surgical methods like bracing, pain medications, and rehabilitation exercises. If these don’t relive the pain, or if the whiplash is severe, surgery may be needed to correct the issue.

Herniated Disc

A herniated disc occurs when a spinal disc ruptures and protrudes into other areas of the spine where it is not supposed to, negatively interacting with muscles and nerves as a result. One of the primary causes of herniated discs (apart from old age) is blunt trauma. Herniated discs are especially common in high contact sports like football and hockey. All the padding in the world cannot save your back if it’s hit hard enough.

The procedure involves going in and putting the disc back into its rightful place – making sure it doesn’t interfere with the structures surrounding the spine. Non-surgical treatments (exercises, steroid injections) can work, but usually only provide short-term relief from pain.

Serious injuries can result from any sport, not just full contact sports like football. Consult with your physician immediately after a sports injury to plot a course for treatment.

Comments are closed.