Athletic Low Back Pain: What Every Athlete Needs to Know

What It Is

“Athletic low back pain” is pain in the lumbar spine experienced by athletes of any age. Pain is a symptom that tells us something needs attention. It is not a diagnosis on its own.

Common Diagnoses Linked to Athletic Low Back Pain

• Facet dysfunction

• Spondylolisthesis often seen in wrestlers and grapplers

• Spondylosis more common in older athletes

• Disc degeneration or disc dysfunction most common overall

• Lumbar strain

Who Gets It

About 85 percent of people will feel low back pain at some point. Risk climbs in sports with high energy trauma such as wrestling and gymnastics and in sports with repeated spinal loading such as weightlifting, rowing, and cricket.
Active people often report less severe and less disabling back pain than sedentary people.

Why Your Back Hurts During Sport

Start with three questions:

1. What was the mechanism of injury

2. How long has it hurt and how does it feel acute, subacute, or chronic

3. What does your sport demand from your spine load, position, and movement pattern

These questions guide testing and treatment but do not replace a medical evaluation.

Pain Does Not Equal Damage

Pain is influenced by many factors. Imaging does not always match symptoms.

• Some athletes with spine changes on imaging have no pain

• Some athletes with normal imaging still have pain

The best care uses medical history, physical exam, and imaging when indicated to create the right plan.

How We Think About Pain in Sport

Load x Position x Movement Pattern = Pain Level
By adjusting these variables we can reduce symptoms and speed your return.

When to Seek Immediate Medical Help

• Numbness or tingling in both legs

• Loss of bowel or bladder control

• Severe pain at rest that is worsening

• Recent major trauma

If any of these apply, seek medical care now.