The stability of the body’s core is essential for track and field athletes, both to maximise performance and reduce the incidence of injuries. Recent studies of elite athletes show that approximately one quarter of their injuries involve the trunk or thigh, indicating problems with the core stabilisers, both the general stabilisers (like the external obliques, rectus abdominis and the erector spinae) and local stabilisers (like the transverses abdominus, the internal obliques, the multifidi, the pelvic floor muscles, and the diaphragm).
Therefore work on balance and core stability should be elements of any training or rehabilitation programme. With the aim of providing background information and general advice for coaches and medical practitioners who work with elite athletes, this article discusses the importance of balance and core stability then outlines the causes, evaluation and treatment of spinal injuries. It concludes by stating that managing and preventing recurrences of back injuries in athletes begins with an understanding of what they do, how they do it, and the cause of injury.
The basic principles of prevention are avoidance of extreme positions or stress for long periods, and preventative/maintenance exercises for range of motion, muscle flexibility, strength and power.