Low back pain in the athlete

Preview

As more and more Americans turn to sports as a form of exercise, more and more physicians are seeing patients with low back problems. The true incidence of low back pain is not known, since most athletes—recreational as well as competitive—do not seek medical attention unless the pain persists and interferes with performance. Differential diagnosis is challenging, and as Dr Keene relates in this article, the primary care physician needs to consider all of the possible causes in order to rule out a potentially disabling disorder.