Neeraj Chopra Recovering From Back Injury: What Is Rehabilitation, and How Does It Help Athletes?

India’s star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is currently recovering from a back injury he suffered last September, just before the World Championships, and will be going for rehabilitation and treatment.

According to the Athletics Federation of India, the 28-year-old has not yet decided when and where to start the season. Chopra competed in the World Championships in Tokyo with a back injury, and he finished a lowly eighth with a best throw of 84.03 m, way off the season and personal best of 90.23 m. “He is taking a break. He is recovering from his injuries. He had two injuries. The focus is on rehabilitation; I think that is the most important thing, not the opener,” AFI spokesperson Adille Sumariwalla told reporters when asked about Chopra's likely opening event of the season. “Hats off to him for taking part in the world championships. I have seen his injury and the swelling, and he still took part. We told him, Don't do it. He said, 'No, sir, I will try. ' He never said a word like, 'I couldn't throw because of my injury,'" Sumariwalla added. Chopra had hurt his back on September 4, 2025, and then had an MRI scan, which revealed that he was not at 100 per cent then.

What is a back injury?

A back injury causes damage to your spine's supporting structures, which include bones, muscles, ligaments, and discs, from trauma, overuse, or underlying conditions, causing pain, stiffness, spasms, or weakness, often in the lower back, and can range from mild sprains to severe fractures or herniated discs. According to experts, your lower back is the most common site of back injuries and back pain, and a few common ones include:

Sprains and strains

When you overstretch a muscle in your back or tear a ligament, the area around the muscle will usually become inflamed. The inflammation leads to a back spasm, and it is the back spasm that can cause both severe lower back pain and difficulty moving.

Herniated discs

When a symptomatic herniated disc happens, the disc itself is not painful, but rather the material leaking out of the inside of the disc is pinching or irritating a nearby nerve. This type of pathology produces radicular pain, which leads to pain that may radiate to other parts of the body.

Fractured vertebrae

Fractures range from simple compression fractures, in which the bone collapses upon itself, getting pushed together, to burst fractures, when pieces of bone explode out into the tissues around the spine, including the nerves and spinal cord.

What is the treatment for back pain?

These injuries not only cause pain but also limit movement. According to experts, treatments include many different conservative modalities, including medicines, icing, bed rest, and physical therapy, and interventions like rehabilitation. Back injury rehabilitation focuses on restoring movement and strength through a combination of gentle aerobic activity, stretching, and core strengthening, which is completely guided by a physical therapist to prevent re-injury, often incorporating methods like walking, swimming, planks, and yoga. It also avoids high-impact movements until recovery. Key exercises include knee-to-chest stretches, pelvic tilts, and cat-cow pose, along with managing inflammation with heat/cold therapy and maintaining good posture.

What are the key components of rehabilitation?

• A tailored physical therapy programme teaches correct form for exercises
• Low-impact aerobic exercises like walking or swimming
• Stretching and strengthening core muscles like abs and back, and flexibility to support the spine
• Posture and body mechanics, which help you to sit, stand, and lift correctly.