Cricket injuries: bowling load, shoulders and side strains

Cricket is played across Casey through the summer, with Casey Fields among the busiest venues. The injury profile is heavily skewed by role: fast bowlers carry substantially more risk than batters or spinners, and the reason is cumulative load rather than any single dangerous action.

Why fast bowling is hard on the back

The bowling action combines side flexion, rotation and extension at high speed, repeated many times per spell. In adolescent bowlers whose growth plates have not closed, this is the mechanism behind lumbar bone stress injuries — one of the more serious injuries in junior sport. Low back pain in a teenage fast bowler that is worse with bowling and eases with rest should always be taken seriously.

Bowling workload

The strongest predictor of injury is a sudden spike in bowling volume — a big pre-season, a long spell after weeks off, or back-to-back matches. Managing overs per week and per session matters more than technique tinkering for most club bowlers. Our low back pain page explains how we assess these presentations.

Side strains

A side strain is an injury to the muscles attaching to the lower ribs, and it is close to unique to cricket. It usually happens mid-delivery and feels like a sharp catch in the side of the trunk. These need genuine time and a graded return, because bowling through one reliably makes it worse.

Shoulders and throwing

Fielders who throw a lot from the boundary develop the same rotator cuff and posterior shoulder issues as baseball throwers. Pain during the cocking phase of a throw, or a loss of throwing distance, are the early signs.

Getting assessed

We treat cricketers across Casey through the season and pre-season. If you are a junior bowler with back pain, or a senior with a side or shoulder complaint, come in early — cricket injuries respond much better to early load management than to mid-season crisis management.

What a first appointment looks like

We start with what actually happened and what the demands of your sport are, then assess the injured area alongside the joints and muscles above and below it — because the painful structure is often not the limiting one. You get a diagnosis, a realistic timeframe, and a plan that accounts for your training and match schedule rather than assuming you can stop. If we think you need imaging or another practitioner, we will say so at that first visit rather than after six sessions.

Booking in

We are at 5/6-8 Langmore Lane, Berwick, with street parking directly outside and same-week appointments most weeks. Initial consultations are 60 minutes and $149, with private health rebates processed on the spot via HICAPS. No referral is required, and we also work with WorkCover, DVA and Medicare care plans where they apply.

Book an initial consultation at RISE Sports & Spinal in Berwick. Clear diagnosis, hands-on treatment, and a plan that actually gets you better.