Lower Back Strain

  • The most common spinal injury in tennis

Lower Back Strain in Tennis: Symptoms, Treatment & Safe Return to Play

Quick Overview

A lower back strain occurs when the muscles or supporting soft tissues around the lumbar spine are overstretched or damaged.

For tennis players, the lower back is exposed to repeated rotation, extension, side bending, acceleration, and deceleration. These forces are especially noticeable during serves, overheads, powerful groundstrokes, and rapid changes of direction.