lower back problems

[NtripleB]

im only 14 and its getting me a bit worried
last few weeks ive been getting a short sharp pain in my back everytime i spin, and only goes away when i put my legs back down. and tonight at soccer we were doing core strength and the same pain occured...
i stretch and warm up before i go for a surf but are there any specific stretches i should be doing
also would it help when im in the line up if i sit up on my board and not lie down.. ?

[doclach]

Hey NTB,
good to chase your concerns up fella. The thing with back pain - especially the type you've described is that sometimes it is something simple, sometimes something complex. Because it is a repeating 'sharp pain' , it wouldn't be a bad idea to tell your folks and see what they like to do in these scenarios - best path is to consult a back professional, like an osteo/chiro/physio - but that is up to them.

when you spin you bend your legs back and lift your thighs a little. that increases the angle of that curve in your lower back. that inward natural curve is called "lordosis". when its angle is increased, if there is something 'out of line' in there nerves or tissue can get 'pinched' between the closing angles of bone and supportive tissues.

sitting up on your board in the line-up will help open the area out temporarily and stretches can help - but mainly for general back fatigue and strain - not so much 'sharp pain' as that tends to be a mechanical issue. See how you go with sorting it out, good to organise back stuff early in my opinion as it can aggravate and become quite debilitating and limiting in certain circumstances (and particularly with the sort of random take-downs we get in boog you want it as strong and in-line as possible).

[NtripleB]

thanks doc.
i asked my folks and they said if it persists for another week then i'll see a chiro about it

[chriso]

Mate, don't bother going to a chiro, they will have you coming in once a week for the rest of your life so they can crack your back. I've had a lot of back problems over the last few years and it finally came to a head about a year ago when i was diagnosed with 3 torn discs in my back. Leading up to this time, i had spent considerable time at physio's, Osteo's and chiro's and none of them had been able to diagnose the problem and until i saw a spinal specialist. I would probably recommend going to a physio first as there are still good ones around, but if it's not showing significant improvements after 3 visits, then I would organise to see a specialist.

[Shooter]

I have had problems with my back since I was in primary school, and it doesnt appear to be recovering anytime soon. You have to learn how to manage it. I have also noticed that sitting on your board between sets helps, so I try to do that as much as possible...Stretching before and after a surf is a good idea...Your posture when sitting at work/school is important as well..

[jamescottrell45]

eat rite, stay physical, do training routines, weights, flexibility training, sitting at a classroom desk probly doesnt do you good

[NtripleB]

dayam started really hurting recently.. been a month i went to physio i stopped booging for a week ( he reccomended ) and did exercises..
im still doing exercises but pain keeps occurring..
i cant reverse, spin or attempt air reverses anymore.. really killing my bodyboard experience..
probs going back physio soon and be out for an extended amount of time

[meaksy]

Bugger NBBB,
I just put mine out again too, so freakin annoying. Wont be in the water for at least 2 weeks i reckon.
Out of interest, how flexible are you? (no thats not a pickup line ). I know many of my problems are from tight hamstrings. Is this the case for you?

[pete]

It'll save you in the long term but. As Doc said originally, it's important to deal with these things properly from the start - it's not stuff you should muck around with.

[NtripleB]

i have very bad hamstrings which is what one of the exercises is working on.. making my hammys flexible and moving that nerve that runs along your back to your calf, apparently if i get more flex in my hammys it'l go away.. but been a month and ehhh, must stop bodyboarding i rekon cause sitting up like that for 2 hrs would be shocking for it

[caspian]

eat rite, stay physical, do training routines, weights, flexibility training, sitting at a classroom desk probly doesnt do you good

doing weights when you're 14 is a great idea if you want a heap of extra back pain and stunted growth in general. Don't do weights until you've stopped growing.

Go to a physio dude, get it checked out before it gets worse.

[meaksy]

I reckon NBB because youve had the pain for a couple of months now that your first course of action is to visit a GP not the physio. Get it xrayed/ct scan (or whatever the doc recommends) and just check there is nothing wrong. The problem with physios is they cant diagnose, they only treat, sometimes they treat the wrong thing. In my case when i really stuffed my back i just went to the physio for a couple of months, then i lost feeling in half my foot and up one side of my leg and could hardly walk. Then i went to the GP and got the scans and the GP told me (like the fella above ) that it was a torn disc. So i payed for two months of physio to hurt me and do nothing towards fixing the problem. Discs from my experience really cause pain when you are leaning forward but your pain seems to be when you extend in the opposite direction so its prob not a disc (it could be a facet joint sprain or a ligament strain or many other things) but still worth getting a proper diagnosis then going to see the physio . I left my problem untreated for too long and payed the price, it took years to get fully better after i had it operated on and i still have nerve damage from it. Its not worth mucking around with if youre prone to back problems. I wouldnt be doing to many painfull ecercises till you know whats not going to cause you more problems.

Once you get a name for your injury then youll know how to treat it, then once you have recovered, get straight into those flexibility exercises and make it your religion Seriously dont let up on doing them till youre as bendy as jeff hubbard. Thats what i would have told myself way back when anyway.

[NtripleB]

haahaa nice advice meaks, yeh i should get prob go to GP first.. i remember going to two different physios 2 days apart for a groin injury and they gave me two completely different diagnoses! deffs check it out then write back here with results
p.s casp im 16 turning 17 in sep now

[savage flame]

Good luck with it all. About a year ago I completely screwed my back from doing an invert and landing scorpion-style.
First back injury I've ever had really. Numerous physio check-up's, and whilst they do help, it seems they are just after a weekly session regardless of the diagnosis.
Well it seems that it will always give me troubles, but like someone said in the above posts its about maintaining it for me.
I think it has improved slightly as time goes on. Was much better than a year ago when I first did it.

[CaptainSiphilas]

physios are a rip dude, im 17 as of tomorow!! and had to go to one for mild scoliosis it hurts super bad while the do it and for the day or two after and then you feel good for maybe a day then you gotta go back in a week or two, paying $80+ is not worth it