Participation in sporting events is the second leading cause of spinal cord injuries for Americans ages 30 and younger.

Of these injuries, more than half of catastrophic sports injuries are cervical spine injuries (emedicine). Other common sports injuries that involve spine health are a result of repetitively overusing the structures that support the spine. Many sports require hours of dedicated practice, usually involving repetitive motions. Often times, this repetition leads to the overexertion of the back or neck. Many athletes suffer from spine conditions or disorders as a result of careless or misguided exertion during sports activities. This is why it is so important to teach coaches and athletes how to prevent sports injuries.

If you are unable to prevent a sports injury, it is highly recommended that you contact your local orthopedic surgeon immediately for a consultation. As many spinal injuries are the result of high speed collisions and not a list of pre-existing ailments or symptoms, immediate diagnosis is key. Your orthopedic surgeon will want to know or figure out what happened, what was the cause, how this injury will affect you and how best to treat your injury moving forward.

Treatment options for spine-related sports injuries

It’s important to note the potential effects of spine surgery and the recovery process, especially for athletes.

In the case of professional athletes, the inability for their bodies to continue to function at an optimal level or the requirement of a lengthy post-surgery recovery time could be physically impeding and financially damaging as well. This is why it is important to consider the least invasive and physically diminishing spine surgeries that modern medicine can provide.

Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression for sports injuries

spine surgery to treat spinal injuries

Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression utilizes multiple procedures to help relieve pressure from your nerves and spinal cord, while maintaining the flexibility and strength of your spinal cord as much as possible. ELD most commonly uses a laminectomy to help relieve the pressure, a discectomy to remove the damaged disc and spinal fusion to combine adjunct vertebrae at the end of the procedure.

Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression works to treat:

  • Slipped discs
  • Ruptured discs
  • Repetitive nerve injury
  • Disc wall tears or leaks

Laser Disc Decompression for athletes

Laser Disc Decompression achieves pain relief and decompression by inserting a laser probe into the intervertebral disc space and applying laser energy to the affected area.

Laser Disc Decompression provides a safer, less invasive alternative to Lumbar Decompression. Patients are usually back to work a week after the procedure. This is because only a thin needle is used. This eliminates the risks of muscle damage, bone removal and scarring that come with open incision procedures. This offers athletes the perfect option for spine surgery to keep their bodies in tip top shape and their recovery times low.

Laser Disc Decompression works to treat:

  • Slipped discs
  • Ruptured discs
  • Repetitive nerve injury
  • Disc wall tears or leaks

Kyphoplasty to treat sports related fractures

Kyphoplasty aims to eliminate the pain caused by spinal fractures while also stabilizing the bone and it works to restore some of the height that is lost from the compression of the fracture.

Kyphoplasty works to treat:

  • Spinal fractures