Rehabilitation of neck and low back injuries.

Sports-related mechanisms of cervical and lumbar spine injury and their clinical presentations have been discussed. The keys to treatment of these injuries in the athlete include rehabilitation of the injured area, recognition of the mechanism of injury, and correction of any technical faults that may have contributed thereto. Criteria for return to sport are a critical part of the rehabilitation of the injured athlete. Most importantly, the practitioner can anticipate potential areas of injury and can recommend prehabilitation exercises to avert many of these injuries.