Exercise can help to relieve pain by stretching and strengthening the muscles that support the back. For some, it can also improve your perception of the pain and reduce chronic stress. Still, studies suggest that one of the main reasons people with back pain don’t exercise is because they fear they will make their pain worse.

NEW YORK — Kei Nishikori withdrew from the U.S. Open, saying a back injury has not fully healed. Nishikori was injured in May and pulled out of the French Open. The 2014 U.S. Open runner-up from Japan returned for a first-round loss in Cincinnati but said his back isn’t healthy enough to play in New York.

Matthew Stafford went through his second practice of the summer with the Rams on Tuesday, and coach Sean McVay seemed encouraged by his starting quarterback’s progress in his recovery from an injured disk in his back.

Keely Hodgkinson produced another statement performance before next month's World Championships as she made it back-to-back victories since returning from injury. Hodgkinson, 23, clocked one minute 55.69 seconds to set a meeting record despite miserable conditions at the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland.

With one preseason game remaining, two linemen who could both see significant time in the game return to practice.

Texas Tech running back Quinten Joyner suffered a season-ending knee injury during a scrimmage on Saturday, coach Joey McGuire confirmed on his podcast Monday. Joyner, a redshirt sophomore who transferred from USC last December, was expected to be a key piece of the Red Raiders' offense. McGuire said it was a "noncontact" injury.

One day after Kenny Moore, Alec Pierce, and Bernhard Raimann returned to the practice field, the Indianapolis Colts got more good news on Wednesday. According to The Athletic's James Boyd, back on the practice field were Kwity Paye (groin), Jaylon Jones (hamstring), and JuJu Brents (hamstring).

Goals Wimbledon's owner described the USWNT forward as humble while using his five-a-side facility to regain fitness earlier this summer