water polo and lower back pain?

    • water polo and lower back pain?

      I have scholiosis so I get back pain often. The scholiosis isn't severe enough to get surgery or a brace but it's still a problem.

      I am a junior in high school and I play varsity water polo, out in the field (not a goalie). You can imagine how all the swimming back and forth head-up would strain me. I love the sport but I hate playing it sometimes because of all the pressure it puts on my lower back. Rather, I hate playing field. I've always wanted to be a goalie- I tried out for it on JV but they put me in field instead because of my swimming skills.

      My question- since it's rough on my back to be playing field, might it be easier on me to play goalie? I have the goalie skills from going through tryouts and from stepping in during practice when neither of our two goalies can do it (for whatever reason), so I know very well what I'm doing. I love being a goalie so much more than field player. I just wanted to know what part my back pain would play in this and if it would actually be better to play goalie since you're not constantly swimming back and forth head-up making your spine not all aligned.

      Thanks for any and all insight!

    • Re: water polo and lower back pain?

      It might depend on how good the rest of your team is. :p Will you have your work cut out for you? Seems to me that goalies would be doing a lot more twisting and sudden movements, which might not be any better.

      The best thing to do would be to talk to a doctor or physical therapist about it. Maybe there are things you can do to strengthen your back, and they would know better about which types of activities are okay to be doing.