This is a very common injury amongst cricketers, especially fast bowlers.
Lower back injuries can take the form of stress fractures, particularly in adolescent fast bowlers. Other areas that could be damaged include the disc, facet joint or surrounding soft tissue.
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There are many potential causes of these injuries. Poor bowling technique (called a mixed action technique), overbowling and relative youth are the common culprits.
Other possible causes include poor physical preparation, the impact forces associated with the delivery stride, inadequate footwear, and previous injury.
Diagnosis and treatment
Early detection and diagnosis is very important. Following this, treatment includes physiotherapy for pain and rehabilitation, which is undertaken by a physiotherapist and biokineticist.
The focus of the rehabilitation is twofold: Firstly, it is essential to retrain the core muscles which are responsible for spinal stability. Secondly, and equally as important, is strengthening of the entire trunk, upper and lower body in order to help the body deal with the huge impact forces associated with fast bowling.
Biomechanical changes are often necessary and these can be achieved by means of collaboration between the medical team and the coach.
Lower back pain is not a problem exclusive to the fast bowlers and is equally devastating when it happens to batsmen or wicketkeepers.
(Source: Janine Gray (BSc (physio), BSc (Med)(Hons) Exercise Science. Lecturer at the University of Cape Town and affiliated to the High performance Centre at Cricket South Africa.)
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