From Back Flip to Back Pain:
A Warning for Young Gymnasts and Other Athletes

Excessive athletic training by young athletes may lead to an increase in curvature of the spine. A study released by University of Michigan researchers found an increased potential for curved spines and back pain in young athletes who devote long hours to their sport. Gymnasts, in particular, are at risk for back problems.

“We found that training and conditioning is good and, in fact, needed for normal spine development,” says Edward M. Wojtys, M.D., medical director of the MedSport program at the University of Michigan Health System. “But we also found that at the other end of the spectrum, if you do too much, you can push the spine into a curvature that we think is cosmetically less acceptable and can make you more susceptible for back pain later on in life.”

The U-M study determined that up to 300 hours of sports activity per year is usually a safe level of activity. “Where we’re more concerned about kids is when they start getting over 400 hours per year. Or when you start looking at six, eight, 10 or more hours per week of hard training and conditioning, that’s where we think the problems lie,” says Wojtys, who is also a professor of surgery and team physician for the U-M Athletic Department.

Gymnastics is the sport with the highest risk for spine curvature, researchers found, followed very closely by football, hockey and wrestling.

Wojtys is quick to note the importance of physical activity for young people. What’s important is that parents, coaches, physicians and the athletes themselves monitor their activity. “There’s no doubt physical activity and athletic participation is good for normal spine development,” he says.

Wojtys can be reached at edwojtys@umich.edu