How To Manage A Player With Sciatica

Whenever your players step out onto the sports field, they risk injuring themselves, it's one of the few drawbacks of playing sport. Backpain and injuries can become a significant burden and cause a player to miss training, important games, and in severe cases end someone's playing career. Sciatica is one of the most common types of pain, affecting as many as 40% of people and one that top-flight soccer players know all too well. Former French captain and England Premier League player Thierry Henry was forced to miss five weeks of games when he was struck down with sciatica in 2006. Fortunately, there are sciatica treatments available that can help your players get back on the soccer field safely.

What Is Sciatica?

Sports can strain the body, and its traumatic reaction to an impact can result in injury and compression of the sciatic nerve. The pain typically starts in the lower back or buttocks and radiates along the sciatic nerve path, branching down each leg. It usually only affects one side of the body. It's common for sciatica to occur as a herniated disk due to a sports injury and causes the nerve to be compressed, causing inflammation, pain, and even numbness. While sciatica can cause severe pain, in most cases it can be resolved within a few weeks using non-surgical treatments such as intensive massage, physiotherapy, and medications. 

Playing With Sciatica

When Thierry Henry returned to soccer after being sidelined with sciatica, he said he should have taken a break sooner rather than continue to play through the pain of severe sciatica. Players are often determined to carry on and anxious not to take time away from the soccer field. But, as the coach, you'll need to look out for those telltale signs that a player should take some time out. Determining whether they can play with sciatica will depend on the severity of their pain, the type of back pain, their overall fitness and mental state, and their commitment to getting treatment. If their pain is fairly minimal and tolerable and any sharp movements are not painful, they may be fine to play. However, don't be afraid not to play them if you think they need to recuperate.

Treatment Options For Sciatica

Depending on what has caused it, mild sciatica can eventually go away by applying hot or ice packs to the inflamed area, taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory or prescription medicines, and some gentle stretches. However, if this doesn't work or the pain is too severe, the player should work with a physical therapist to find the right exercises to reduce pressure on the nerve to decrease sciatica. There is also the option of spinal injections, which injects a corticosteroid, an anti-inflammatory, into the lower back to reduce swelling and pain around the nerve roots. Spinal surgery is usually only recommended in severe cases and if physical therapy and medication haven't helped or the pain has worsened.

If one of your players is experiencing sciatica, the most important thing to remember is that they should be cleared by a doctor or physical therapist before they continue playing. While your player may be anxious not to be left, their pain direction by the physio should be your guide as to whether or not they should play.