Lower back pain occurs in as many as one in three varsity or professional athletes. There are three typical reasons for this pain. First, there is lumbar disk generation- the natural degeneration of a spinal disk (there is one such disk between each vertebrae in the spine); athletes beginning intense training regimens at a young age will accelerate this degeneration process. Second, there is lumbar disk herniation- when repetitive motions squeeze the soft center of a disk out of the disk’s hard exterior, causing pain. Third, there is spondylolysis- when a fracture in the spine causes a vertebrae to disconnect and slip out of alignment. Nonsurgical treatment (e.g. pain medication and rehabilitation programs) have high success rates, but surgical treatment is considered as a last resort.

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