https://www.stress-fracture-awareness.org/initiatives daily 0.75 2021-05-23 https://www.stress-fracture-awareness.org/home daily 1.0 2021-05-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621745534676-JAGUU31JITXVE5FFDWF4/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+2.20.20+pm.png Home - Make it stand out Josh Wilson, Year 12 Student https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621738901523-55R2HAIMG5RB2JL1MYNO/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+12.31.35+pm.png Home - What is a lumbar stress fracture? [1]A lumbar stress fracture is a crack that can develop in the area of the vertebrae called the Pars Interarticularis bone (the small bones that protract from the vertebrae are important in maintaining the spine’s structure). The most common region for a cricketer to be affected by a lumbar stress fracture is in the 5th (L5) Lumbar vertebrae as shown in figure 1, however a stress fracture can also occur in the L4 or L6 Lumbar vertebrae. Image: Demonstrating the structure of the spine. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/spondylolysis-and-spondylolisthesis/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621739986174-DJVK0V7D778QJIJ86TYO/Photo+of+yours+truly Home - Study conducted by myself Investigation conducted by Josh Wilson, from the 21st January – 21st February, saw 83 local country cricketers fill out a questionnaire based on lumbar stress fractures on cricket. The main findings from my survey were: ·Over half of the people surveyed didn’t know what a lumbar stress fracture was, this is a very high percentage of people that highlights the fact that there is very little awareness at club level for what a lumbar stress fracture is. This has many repercussions as discussed later. ·Several of the cricketers that filled out the survey stated that because they weren't aware of the risks of obtaining a lumbar stress fracture, they didn’t receive treatment and continued bowling. This then caused the injury to worsen. ·Many of the responses concluded that they had to stop bowling pace and some responses mentioned that their lifestyle is still affected due to this back pain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621739471122-AC9JPHA6EGCPSVWYE7FY/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+12.41.04+pm.png Home Fig 2: Demonstrating where a stress fracture occurs in the spine. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/spondylolysis-and-spondylolisthesis/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621740701571-C2Z7CWJXIY6GG2P0HJSB/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+1.01.30+pm.png Home - How do lumbar Spine Injuries occur in cricket? [4]The biggest misconception is that cricket doesn’t require fitness. This misconception can be potentially dangerous. Parents, coaches and players don't understand how physically demanding fast bowling is in cricket. The action of fast paced bowling is a difficult skill to master, bowling effectively requires balance, co-ordination, power and timing. A bowler is expected to bowl a large number of deliveries at maximum effort (depending on what match format for how many balls bowled). Pars stress fractures are thought to be caused by repetitive hyper-extension and rotation of the spine but the evidence is inconclusive.. Bowling is very physical, requiring lots of repeated power movements and coordination. [6]Too much bowling is the main reason for cricketers obtaining a lumbar stress fracture, but it should also be mentioned that genetic disorders can also lead to an increased risk of obtaining a lumbar stress fracture. Genetic bone disorders are a very broad field, and more information is at the following website: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6342881/ Image: https://www.cricket.com.au/news/shaun-tait-retirement-retires-hobart-hurricanes-bbl-coaching-indian-citizenship/2017-03-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621742810678-79ZD0O4K167LQJVPZ92I/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+1.36.31+pm.png Home Young cricketer practicing his bowling https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621743015417-ZN7ESD268HCTIHX7T6SU/image-asset.png Home Fig 4: Demonstration of the stages in a side on technique from English fast bowler Chris Woakes. https://www.howtobowlfast.com/chest-drive https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60a9c1f8b7ed7723b0450846/1621743128010-RKVJ53QFI75SUL9J77I2/Screen+Shot+2021-05-23+at+1.42.01+pm.png Home Fig 5: Demonstration of a front on bowling technique. https://lienertandpfeifferbiomechanicsblog.weebly.com/blog/biomechanics-blog-pace-bowling https://www.stress-fracture-awareness.org/contact-us daily 0.75 2021-05-23 https://www.stress-fracture-awareness.org/about daily 0.75 2021-05-23 https://www.stress-fracture-awareness.org/about-1 daily 0.75 2021-05-23 https://www.stress-fracture-awareness.org/take-action daily 0.75 2025-05-13