Doctor: Arthritic back may be serious problem

October 30 , 2007 BY ROMAN MODROWSKI

It's impossible to predict whether Brian Urlacher's arthritic back will shorten his career, but the way it's apparently affecting his performance speaks to its seriousness.

Urlacher, 29, is in his eighth season and admitted his back became so painful he sought advice from a specialist in Pittsburgh.

''If the athlete is telling you that it bothers him to this degree, then it's certainly a serious problem,'' said Preston Wolin, an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine for the Neurological and Orthopedic Institute of Chicago. ''We know there is a significant percentage of pro athletes who have arthritis and are playing with it, but it's impossible to extrapolate how long a certain player can play with it.''

Urlacher told foxsports.comthe pain in his back started in training camp, which began in late July. He said it's more painful than the injured hamstring that kept him out of seven games in 2004. Urlacher went on to say his back sometimes gets so painful he can't bend over, and that pain always is present.

''An injury sometimes is something that happens, and you can get over it,'' Wolin said. ''Arthritis is a condition that needs to be managed.

''Medicine can be used to treat inflammation. Certain types of physical therapy can help, and then certain types of injections of epidural steroids. The response rate for epidural steroids is probably 75-80 percent, but athletes are different because of the stress on their bodies. It's hard to predict.''

Arthritis is a degenerative disease. How it affects the structure of Urlacher's back isn't certain, but the fact he's an NFL middle linebacker probably doesn't help.

''You can't reverse the process; we don't know how to do that yet, but you can arrest it,'' said Kevin Plancher, an orthopedic surgeon in New York. ''Some people with arthritis get worse; others never get worse.

''He will be hit several times and get hit, and it will put strains on his back, but the odds are because he's in such phenomenal shape, he will absorb a lot of the energy that would damage things.''

Plancher said breakthroughs are on the horizon.

''Some are able to function with arthritic changes,'' Wolin said. ''Some make modifications in the way they play the game. These guys are highly skilled and make fine adjustments to their bodies.''