Question
Hello, my name is Jamee and I am 17 years old. I am an athlete and used to swim competitively. I抳e always experienced back pain, however, it has drastically increased in the past year since I stopped swimming. I went to the doctor about in the spring and he said I had tight hamstrings and that I needed to strech. I strech regularly, however, I can still not touch my toes and it hurts my hamstrings and whole back to bend down. I constantly need my back cracked and it is nearly impossible for me to sit up straight. I am not overweight, yet I have broad shoulders and skinny legs. Could this have an effect on the pressure on my back? When I sit up straight, the middle of my upper back makes a strange popping noise. You can also feel a bump at the top of my spine that juts out. My neck and my upper back is constantly in pain. Do I need to strength my back? Do I need to see a chiropractor? Please help!

Answer
Hi Jamee,

This is a common problem in competitive swimmers that stop training. Because swimming requires a lot of back strength, swimmers usually have very strong back muscles and this can create an imbalance when they stop training.

You may be suffering from spondylolisthesis which is very common in competitive swimmers. It is a type of stress fracture in your back which could have happened from a lot of swimming. That bump you feel on your spine may be what is known as a 'step defect' which is a sign of spondylolisthesis. Severe hamstring tightness is another sign. This is more common in swimmers who competed with the butterfly stroke.

I would recommend that you see a Chiropractor who can diagnose your condition and prepare a treatment plan that will likely include core strengthening exercises, mobilizations and muscle release.

I hope this helps!

Dr. Liza