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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Injuries/Fractures/Cuts > Teen and sports injuries
Posted on: 02/03/2010
Question
I'm 15 and play basketball and soccer. I've already had a bilateral pars fracture. I rested for six weeks this summer, did all the rehab and made it through a whole soccer season without it coming back. But now its basketball season and I can feel the pain again and think it's back. What should I do? Should I just tell the coach I'm done and go through the whole deal of getting a bone scan, x-rays and do the rehab and everything this summer? Or should I just get through the last two weeks of season and rest on my own all summer and not do any summer league. Please give me advice and suggestions because I am really depressed about this. I hate going through this. It seems like over and over and its only been once and a half. So please give me advice.
Answer
You really need to see a specialist who treates pars stress fractures in adolescents. This is too complicated an issue to handle via email advice. You should not continue to play basketball if pain is present while playing or is getting progressively worse. There are multiple possible causes for the recurrence of the back pain. It may or may not be related to previous pars fractures. Even if it is, it is unlikely to require the significant period of rest that is typically done for initial fractures.