Column Professional athletes who have battled with disc herniation in the past – vol.2 – Mr. Sani Brown
October 18, 2024
Back pain is a condition that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. The causes of back pain are various, and include disc herniation and spinal stenosis.
Athletes are not exempt from suffering from spinal disorders either.
In this article, we will use the example of an athlete who battled with herniated discs to explain spinal stenosis.
Sani Brown, the sprinter suffering from disc herniation
Abdel Hakim Sani Brown is a sprinter who set a new Japanese record at 9.96 seconds in the men’s 100m semi-finals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has been involved in athletics since elementary school, and in 2015 he became the youngest person ever to reach the semi-finals of the men’s 200m. He has also competed in the Japan Track and Field Championships, the World Track and Field Championships, and the Tokyo Olympics.
He was expected to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but was eliminated in the preliminary round. In 2022, Sani Brown announced that he had been suffering from lower back pain due to disc herniation during the 2021 season.
After he found out he had disc herniation, he changed his training and corrected his running form, and despite his condition he competed in various competitions and was able to set a new Japanese record at this year’s Paris Olympics.
The link between short-distance running and disc herniation
Lumbar disc herniation occurs when the discs in the lower back are continually subjected to strain, causing them to degenerate. In running events, the hip joints are bent frequently, and this puts a lot of strain on the discs in the lower back.
It is also known that short-distance runners are most likely to suffer from disc degeneration. In addition, the number of years competing and the tightness of the iliopsoas muscle are also thought to be related to disc degeneration. *1
*1 Reference: Kenji Hiranuma, “The Relationship between Lumbar Structural Changes, Low Back Pain, and Genetic Polymorphisms in Athletes,” Research Report, 2015.
Even after disc herniation has healed, disc degeneration will continue to progress. As this happens, the water content within the disc will disappear, causing the disc to become increasingly thin and lose its volume. This can lead to spinal diseases such as spinal canal stenosis and spondylolisthesis.
The importance of preventative measures
Lifestyle habits from a young age can lead to lower back pain, therefore it is beneficial to take measures from a young age to prevent lower back pain.
It is important to build a body that is not susceptible to back pain by reconsidering your lifestyle, exercising and stretching, and relieving stress.
Even in sports, you can reduce the strain on your back by training and other methods, and continue playing sports. The example of Mr. Sani Brown is a good illustration of this.
Treatments available at our clinic
If you experience lower back pain, it is important not to ignore the signs and seek a diagnosis from a specialist right away. Early detection and appropriate treatment can prevent the condition from worsening and even lead to a full recovery.
Our clinic offers the Cellgel Method, a treatment that repairs damaged intervertebral discs.
The Cellgel method used at our clinics provides a fundamental treatment by injecting a drug that fills the cracks in the disc, which then forms a gel that replaces the cracks. It is characterized by the fact that the volume of the disc is not reduced, and the drug remains in the disc as a gel-like implant after treatment, thus preserving the disc.
If you are suffering from lower back pain or have been diagnosed with a herniated disc, please consider a consultation at our clinic.
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