My Back Still Hurts : Should I Dive?

Back to Pain-Proof Your Back Main

So you leaned over to pull someone's gear into the boat, and felt a twinge in your back. Does this mean that you flew all the way to Palau for two dives? Fortunately, the answer is usually no.

Muscle Strain
Most diving-related back pain is caused by muscular strain and is easily treated. The current recommendation for alleviating back strain is to spend as little time lying on your back as possible and to get up as soon as you feel able. If you feel up to it, you can resume diving. Ibuprofen is useful to help deal with the pain. Hot packs and the stretching exercises illustrated here will help loosen up those tight muscles and reduce the chance of further injury. And of course, let someone else do the lifting for the next few days.

Disk and Nerve Injuries
The other common type of back injury involves strain on the disks and nerves. These injuries may happen the same way as muscle strains, but are almost always accompanied by signs and symptoms of pressure on the nerves. These may include shooting leg pain, numbness or weakness of one or both legs or ankles, difficulty urinating, or problems with bowel movements.

While many of these injuries resolve themselves within a few days with rest, it is crucial to seek medical attention if there is any suspicion of neurological involvement, as some injuries require immediate intervention to prevent long-term nerve damage.