Abstract
This paper studies the courses of treatment and re covery in 10 runners with acute back and leg pain. All ran at least 20 miles/week, had pain during or shortly after running, and were diagnosed for herniated lum bar disk by myelogram, electromyogram (EMG), or objective motor weakness and reflex changes. Two or more high-risk factors contributed to the disk syn drome in each runner. These included being 30 to 50 years old (9 runners), being under 72 inches tall (6 runners), having tight joints (6 runners), changing running style (5 runners), and having a previous her niated lumbar disk (3 runners). Early diagnostic prob lems led to incorrect initial diagnosis in three runners. The conservative treatment program consisted of controlled rest, anti-inflammatory medication, alter native exercises, and a gradual return to running in 6 to 12 weeks.
All runners were treated with Williams' exercises. Eight were put in traction as inpatients, and seven were given injections of epidural steroids. Three re quired laminectomies; two of these resumed active running. The return to sports participation was excel lent in this group. Eight returned to active running and one became a marathon bicyclist. Only one runner was unable to return actively to sports.
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