Being an active person with an active lifestyle is a healthy way to live. While many sports requires full body movement, some sports may affect the back more than other parts of the body.
According to the Changi General Hospital, 60%-90% of the population will experience low back pain (LBP) at some point in their lives. Annual prevalence of LBP symptoms
is estimated to be 50% in working adults, and 14–
30% of people have some low back symptoms each
day among Singaporeans.
If you are active in any one of these sports, you should keep in mind your back health when you play and rest if you find yourself straining.
Golf
Although golf is often seen as an activity of leisure, injuries that result from this sport are very common. One recent study showed that during a two-year period, 60 percent of golf professionals and 40 of amateurs suffered either a traumatic or overuse injury while golfing.
Over 80 percent of the reported injuries were related to overuse. Of all injuries, low back pain is the most common in golf. Due to the nature of the swing and the repetitive nature of the swing, this causes certain muscles and joints, especially in the lumbar spine, to lead to injury.
In some cases, older golfers may experience arthritic changes in their spine that have resulted from the repetitive nature of the golf swing. Interestingly, most golfers get back pain on the side of their backswing.
Baseball
Baseball players are more susceptible to lower back injuries because similar to golf, baseball is a predominantly one-sided sport that requires repetitive motion to perfect.
In baseball players, the repeated rotation of both swinging and throwing can lead to an overload of the tissues of the low back and, over time, can cause strain of the muscles and joints of the area.
Basketball
Unlike baseball and golf, basketball is not a one-sided sport, which can help players be more balanced. However, the risk to the low back that occurs with basketball is repeated jumping.
The repeated explosive pattern of jumping and the jarring during landing can lead to an overload of the spine and result in injury to the ligaments or bones.
Football
Football is a sport that requires much physical wear and tear on the body. It is said that playing football is like being in multiple crashes repeatedly. The effect on the low back can be profound. According to the National Institute of Health, NIH (US), football players may develop an earlier onset of osteoarthritis in their spine from repeated trauma.
Professional athletes understand the effects that their sport has on their bodies and for this reason, they seek out care to treat their injuries and maintain their bodies. Amateur athletes often put the same wear and tear on their bodies but do not take care of themselves in the same manner.
If you consider yourself a sports person, learn the types of back pain that can occur, and how SwissAire Ergo Relax mattress and pillows are made to help relief pain as you sleep.