Rugby league players have a lower prevalence of depression compared with studies of the general population and other athletes, but a higher prevalence of GAD, and high rates of alcohol misuse. Clubs may consider implementing regular screening for these conditions. Further prospective research to determine causality of independent factors is required.
Chronic persistent lower back pain due to degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine is a common condition in the athletic population, which does not always improve with nonoperative treatment. We present a case report of a professional Australian rugby league player with DDD of the lumbar spine presenting with persistent lower back pain, which was not responding to conventional nonsurgical treatment. He then underwent a surgical total disc replacement of the lumbar spine and was subsequently able to return to playing professional rugby league at his previous level of competition. This is the only known documented case of a professional athlete in any form of contact sport successfully returning to his previous level of function and competition after undergoing a total disc replacement of the lumbar spine.
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