What if there was a cure for back pain or injuries due to weak bones? Well, it seems there just may be a way to prevent these problems, but the discipline required may seem insurmountable for young athletes and exercise enthusiasts.

The take-away from this year’s conference of the North American Spine Society is that two key variables are leading to back pain. The guest orthopedic surgeons shared their research with industry professionals concluding that squats with weights and Vitamin D deficiency are the culprits of spinal stress fractures resulting in back pain.

While one may believe they are helping their body by exercising with weighted squats, the exact opposite is happening without them realizing they could be creating stress fractures in their spine. This is especially a problem with youngsters involved in sports, and even the assistance of a physical trainer keeping the child in perfect form will not prevent these injuries. Regardless of form, teenage bodies are made up of bones too weak to handle the weight on the shoulders.

For parents of children involved in sports that are experiencing back pain, it is important to get a diagnosis from doctors that have no personal interests in the sport the child is playing. Far too often spinal fractures are overlooked for the sake of the town losing the most valuable player. This has been a serious problem in college football where teams will give the athlete a pain reliever and then put them back out on the field.

Although a substantial amount of spinal fractures happen in younger years, adults are at significant risk especially between the ages of forty and fifty. This age group has yet to begin taking supplements for Osteoporosis but their bones are prone to weakness, and to top it off their fragile bones are most likely to be Vitamin D deficient. Deficiency in Vitamin D causes slower bone growth, which leaves patients susceptible to injury.
With back problems prevention is the key, so make sure to take supplements, get Vitamin D, and stay away from weighted squats!