#007 Gymnast Low-Back Pain: Dr. Lapinski’s Expert Recovery & Prevention Guide
- wolfwear24
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
Meet Dr. Brittany Lapinski. Gymnastics Physical Therapist & Mentor
Former NCAA Division I gymnast Dr. Brittany Lapinski understands the frustrations of sports related injuries and the anxieties of whether a comeback is possible. After enduring multiple knee surgeries, serious back injuries, and a torn shoulder labrum, she turned her experiences into a career. Today she’s a Doctor of Physical Therapy for gymnasts, helping athletes recover from injuries and build back stronger to stay in the sport.
Is Gymnastics a one-way road to life long back pain?
While Dr. Lapinski does see back pain frequently amongst gymnasts, she noted “a lot of it has to do with technique… young gymnasts don’t understand how their bodies move properly yet and they don’t understand how to control their movement”. Especially for young gymnasts, excessive flexibility and underdeveloped muscles may be the culprit, not necessarily the sport itself!
Why Gymnasts Get Low-Back Pain
Dr. Lapinski highlighted several root causes of lower-back pain that she sees when working with gymnasts. One being the repetitive hyperextension and buckling of the lower back seen during back walkovers, Yurchenkos, and back handsprings. During these skills the lower spine (lumbar) takes the brunt of impact instead of the upper back and shoulders. Over time, that “lumbar buckle” can lead to stress fractures, disc injuries, and chronic back pain.
Secondly, Dr. Lapinski mentioned that gymnasts are notoriously stiff in the upper back and shoulders. This lack of mobility concentrates the forces induced by gymnastics to the lower back. Learning to open up the thoracic spine and shoulders will help evenly distribute these loads.
Key prevention tips for gymnasts:
Upper-back and shoulder mobility to protect the lumbar spine. Here is a great guide for that.
Core, hip, and glute strength to stabilize the spine during tumbling passes and beam series.
Learn improved technique for problematic skills (back walkovers, Yurchenkos, ect.)
Dr. Lapinski recommends working specifically with a licensed PT to develop a proper plan for injury prevention and especially diagnosing a recovery strategy for existing injuries. This is not necessarily the expertise of the coach.
Growth Spurts, Fueling, and Back Injury Risk
Ages 9–15 bring rapid growth, the open growth plates require significant energy as they lay down new bone. Under-fueling for gymnasts is common (not eating enough calories, protein, and micro-nutrients) which slows recovery and heightens the risk of injuries. Persistent soreness, bad moods, or slow healing may signal inadequate nutrition. Long training sessions need to be supported by proper fueling and hydration beforehand, during, & after. Plan accordingly, your future self will thank you.
Smart Recovery Strategies for Gymnast Low-Back Pain
If you’re a gymnast and you are already dealing with back pain, Dr. Lapinski recommends:
Magnesium flake or Epsom-salt baths to relax tight muscles.
Heat therapy over ice to improve blood flow to encourage healing.
Daily hip, shoulder, and upper-back mobility work to relieve tension.
Red light therapy for lower-back pain to promote blood flow and reduce inflammation.
Consulting a medical professional for gymnasts when pain is sharp, constant, or worsening.
Rehab from someone who understands gymnastics and typical gymnastics injuries.
“Pain is the body’s signal,” Brittany says. “Ignoring it or masking it with painkillers is dampening that voice that is speaking to you and saying this thing is causing me issues.”
Modify Skills! Don’t Push Through Pain
Pain and injury is assessed on a case-by-case basis but some dull pains like low-back tightness may be managed with modified training. That may mean adjusting routines, like removing a back handspring from a pass or putting more focus on front tumbling.
Ice serves a purpose for reducing inflammation and essentially numbing our pain response. However, icing and then continuing to practice defeats the purpose. If there is significant pain or inflammation you should be seeing a medical professional. For smaller nagging pains that shouldn’t be pushed through, Dr. Lapinski recommends finding something more productive to do such as flexibility work or conditioning.
Gymnast Low-Back Pain Action Plan
Add upper-back and shoulder mobility drills to every warm-up.
Check out the link for great resources
Build core, hip, and glute stability for lumbar spine support.
Eat enough nutrient-dense calories for growth and recovery.
Use heat, magnesium baths, or red light therapy for daily recovery.
Reduce screen-time. Excessive blue light exposure bogs down the mind and body and nervous system–impacting healing.
Seek a medical evaluation, followed by gymnastics-specific physical therapy at the first sign of worsening pain.
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Takeaway:
You can beat low-back pain from gymnastics. With proper training technique, consistent recovery habits, and targeted therapy you can relieve pain now and prevent future back injuries. For more information about other common gymnastics injuries you can contact Brittany at https://www.thegymnasticspt.com/contact.
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