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. 2019 Jun 24;5:26. doi: 10.1186/s40798-019-0199-7

Table 2.

Common lumbar spine injuries in sports and their treatments

Injury type Treatment
Fractures Minor fractures are best treated with rest, NSAIDs, muscle relaxants, and bracing.
Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis Full-time Boston brace is the first line treatment for early spondylolysis [52]. Physical therapy alone that includes exercise programs and stretches is acceptable [53]. Posterior lumbar interbody fusion, posterolateral fusion, or anterior interbody fusion are used as surgical management [56, 57].
Disc herniation Early activity and core strengthening are first-line treatments for conservative management. Laminotomy and disc fragment excision have an 81% return to play rate [10, 61]. NFL players benefited from undergoing surgical correction, but MLB players were less well off than players who underwent nonsurgical therapy [10, 62].