Spine & Back Injuries & Conditions
Spine and back injuries can cause significant pain, affecting your daily activities and sports performance. Without proper care, back injuries can keep you out of the game and lead to serious complications.
At the Memorial Sports Medicine Center, our orthopedic sports medicine teams can help. With advanced training and years of experience, we provide specialized care to help you return to your favorite activities.
Back Injuries and Conditions We Treat at Memorial
Whether you’ve experienced an injury or have a chronic condition, our sports medicine team provides comprehensive care to diagnose and treat you. Common conditions we treat include:
Back Sprains and Strains
A sprain is a stretched or torn ligament, and a strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon. Back sprains and strains cause pain and inflammation in the ligaments, muscles and tendons that support the spine.
These sprains and strains can result from overuse, falls, sudden twists, poorly fitting footwear or forceful impacts such as tackles or other contact during sports.
Neck and Back Pain
Injuries and conditions, such as radiculopathy or overuse due to repetitive movements, can cause neck or back pain.
Radiculopathy (pinched nerve)
Commonly known as a pinched nerve, radiculopathy is compression of a nerve where it branches off the spinal cord. The pressure causes pain, numbness or tingling in various parts of the body, depending on the location of the pinched nerve.
Radiculopathy can result from sudden injuries, accidents and overuse. Nerve compression in the:
- Neck and upper back causes symptoms in the arms
- Middle of the back causes symptoms in the torso
- Lower back affects the lower body and legs
Spinal Disk Problems
Disks are flat, circular, rubbery pads that cushion the vertebrae (bones in the spine) and act as shock absorbers. A sudden twist, fall or direct impact to the back can injure disks, causing a herniated disk, also known as a torn, ruptured, bulging or slipped disk.
Another cause of disk problems is normal wear and tear through aging, also known as degenerative disk disease.
Stress Fractures
Stress fractures can develop in the vertebrae as a result of repetitive stress, especially in the lower back. This condition, spondylolysis, most often affects young athletes who participate in football, weightlifting and gymnastics.
Spondylolysis can lead to a condition known as spondylolisthesis, which is a vertebra that begins to slip out of place in the spine
Diagnosis and Treatments for Spine and Back Injuries
When you come to the Memorial Sports Medicine Center, you’ll meet with one of our doctors to discuss your symptoms and undergo a physical exam. Your doctor may order imaging tests to help diagnose the injury or condition and plan your treatment.
Our orthopedic sports medicine doctors use advanced imaging technologies. We can do X-ray and mini-fluoroscopy (live X-ray, like a video) right in our office, so you don’t need to go to another department.
We treat a variety of conditions with specialized injections in our office, using ultrasound to guide the procedure for precise results. Learn more about your treatment options at the Memorial Sports Medicine Center, including:
Contact Us
To schedule an appointment or learn more about sports medicine at Memorial, call 954-265-8326.
