Low-Back Pain in Sports.

In brief The younger the active patient who has prolonged, localized back pain near the midline, the more likely he or she has spondylolysis or other pars injury. A careful examination with appropriate x-rays is critical because of the high incidence of structural vertebral problems associated with children's low-back pain. Early diagnosis helps the patient to return to sports quickly; conservative therapy of relative rest and stretching is often successful.