Photo / Margeaux Dittrich
Since the fall of 2011, four Orono athletes have suffered back fractures due to weightlifting, sports hits, and muscle overuse. The increase in back fractures is rising nationwide as more teenage athletes are participating in one sport across multiple seasons, and therefore are overusing muscles associated with certain sports.
These injuries are the “result of repetitively using the same parts of the body” in sports, according to Children’s Hospital.
In addition to being unable to play for a majority of the sports season, injured athletes who have fractured their back typically wear a back brace that covers the hip and stretches to mid-chest for about 23 hours a day to heal the fractured vertebrae. The braces are made of hard plastic and have Velcro straps in the back.
Although hits and checks in games contribute to back fractures, weightlifting continues to be a main factor in back injuries.
Sophomore Will Dittrich fractured his L5 vertebrae in June 2012 from jet skiing and performing a weightlifting routine of clean and jerks, where a barbell weight is raised from the ground to chest height and then thrust above the lifter’s head for a short time period. Since his injury, Dittrich has been out of soccer and part of the hockey season. After working with a physical therapist, Dittrich has adjusted his workout routine to use more accurate “weight positions and one without clean and jerks and dead lifts” said Dittrich.
It is important for teenagers to accurately learn the correct lifting techniques to prevent potential injuries. Although it may be tempting to concentrate on the amount of weight being lifted, it is best to tailor a workout for one’s own lifting goal of building strength or building muscle mass.
According to Livestrong.com, “increases in strength require lifters to lift relatively heavier weights” with fewer repetitions. However, if a weight lifter is striving for increased muscle mass, they should “complete a relatively higher number of sets and repetitions of each exercise” with less weight.
Either way, maintaining a strong core is vital in preventing a back fracture. Sophomore Alex Sellers fractured his left L5 vertebrae in his back in Dec. 2012 from hockey and has since had to wear a back brace. He is out from hockey for the remainder of the season and has quit dirt biking because of the risk of a different injury.
Sellers said the increase in back fractures among teenage athletes is because players are faster and the level of competition is enhanced, therefore athletes “go over the top and out of their comfort zone to win, which causes injuries.”
In addition to the increase in athletic competition, an athlete’s commitment to a sport has intensified. While specializing in one sport has become almost a necessity to ensure playing at the highest level of competition, the repeated activity is increasing the potential for overuse injuries on the body.
According to the Orthopedic Team in the Orthopedic Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, “Multi-sport athletes tend not to get as many stress fractures and other kinds of overuse injuries” because “your muscle memory is better if you change up your practice exercises.”
Freshman Riley Vieth has a stress fracture in his L4 from baseball and hockey, yet said that “keeping your core strong and using the correct form while lifting weights” is critical in preventing back fractures.
Junior Shelby Earley, who has a pinched nerve in her back from muscle overuse, advises athletes to tell a coach or parent if something hurts.
Overall, back and stress fractures can usually be prevented by an emphasis on the proper conditioning and training of a sport, and maintaining a strong core, as well as the importance of players learning the correct techniques for weightlifting.
Margeaux Dittrich is the Arts & Entertainment Editor for The Spartan Speaks.
