Young Athlete Podcast: Low Back Stress Fractures

Low Back Stress Fractures - Dr Etienne Du Preez

May 26, 2019

Dr Etienne Du Preez is a Sports Physician based in Sydney. In this episode we talk about low back or lumbar spine stress fractures. What this injury is, how to best manage and treat a low back stress fracture, and the long-term implications of this injury.

Here’s what we discuss in this episode:

What is a Sports Physician and what do they do?
Lumbar spine stress fractures are more than just one condition
How common are lumbar spine stress fractures?
How normal is it for young people to have back pain?
What % of young athletes will experience a lumbar spine stress fracture?
How concerned should I be as a parent if my young athlete has a stress fracture?
What are the long-term implications of lumbar spine stress fractures?
How long does a lumbar spine stress fracture take to heal?
The impact of this injury on the injured young athlete and their families
Ways of helping injured young athletes cope
If my son/daughter tells me they have a sore back what is a good way to manage this?
Do I need to go straight to a physio or GP?
Initial management strategies when you have a young athlete with a sore back
When to look for assessment and treatment from a practitioner
Should I get an x-ray for low back pain in young athlete?
If the x-ray is clear, are we in the clear?
As a coach, what things should I keep in mind to look after the young athletes?
As a coach, what things do I keep in mind if I have an athlete who has had a stress fracture previously?
The critical importance of coaches in the prevention and management of stress fractures
5 key things that can relate or contribute to stress fractures
How much do growth spurts or growing pains contribute to stress fractures
Load Management – How much, how hard, how often young athletes are training and playing
Parents pivotal role in managing the load of young athletes
The importance of sleep and the concept of sleep hygiene
Playing a wide variety of sports is better for young athletes overall development vs early specialisation in 1 sport only early in their life