Lower back pain is a frequent problem in surfers, but it is also a problem experienced by many individuals aged between 30 and 60.
Surfers begin to feel it in various sorts of situations - lifting objects, standing and walking, waking up in the morning, bending, lying down and reclining, sitting for long periods, paddling, etc.
Pain may begin suddenly, or it can gradually worsen over time due to everyday movements, prolonged rest or inactivity, and even prolonged sitting or standing.
The vast majority of the lower back pain examples are solved in six weeks, but if the problem persists, you might be forced to rest and stop surfing, apply simple heat and ice packs, and reduce inflammation via drugs and medication.
There are also specific physical exercises (aerobic conditioning, stretching, and strengthening) for lower back pain treatment. Surgery should always be the last resort, for obvious reasons.
Lower back pain is truly a very common issue. Nearly 80 percent of adults experience lumbago, at least once in a lifetime. If you're a surfer, know that Yoga and Pilates help. And you can also make the straight leg raise test, which will tell you whether you have a herniated disc.
There is good news, though. Two researchers from the College of Health Professions, Central Michigan University, have studied the surfers' back pain and introduced an alternative to the classic pop-up.
The "knee pop-up" alleviates the stress (and excess arching) in the lumbar spine during surfing. The starting position is kneeling, so it is mostly suitable for wave riders in malibus and longboards.
"The knee pop-up proceeds as the surfer pushes off of the board with his/her feet to hop up to a standing position," explain Roger L. Hammer, and Peter V. Loubert.
The team quantified and compared selected kinematics during and between prone and knee pop-ups, and have reached the conclusion that the high acceleration of a classic pop-up is a major factor associated with low back pain.
"The high accelerations in a prone pop-up can be expected to require very high forces and the correspondingly high stresses. The relatively lower accelerations of the knee popup are likewise probably associated with much lower stresses," conclude both scientists.
In the end, staying active and avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, are key ingredients to reduce the probability of experiencing lower back pain.
