Basketball is a major sport worldwide among different age groups that leads to a high frequency of injuries at multiple body sites. Upper and lower extremities and lower back are common pain sites in basketball players; however, there is little information about the relationship between upper or lower extremity pain and lower back pain. This study elucidated the associations between upper extremity (shoulder and elbow) pain and lower back pain (LBP) among young basketball players. We conducted a cross-sectional study using self-reported questionnaires mailed to 25,669 young athletes; the final study population comprised 590 basketball players, and their median age was 13 years (range: 6-15 years). The point prevalence rates of lower back, shoulder, elbow, and upper extremity pain among young basketball players were 12.9% (76/590), 4.6% (27/590), 2.7% (16/590), and 7.1% (42/590), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that upper extremity pain was significantly associated with LBP (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 7.86; 95% confidential interval [CI], 3.93-15.72). Shoulder pain was significantly associated with training per week (> 4 days) (adjusted OR: 4.15; 95% CI: 1.29-13.40) and LBP (adjusted OR: 13.77; 95% CI: 5.70-33.24). This study indicates that upper extremity and shoulder pain is associated with LBP among young basketball players. Assessing for lower back pain, as well as elbow and/or shoulder pain, may help prevent severe injuries in young basketball players. In conclusion, parents and coaches should be properly re-educated to help improve lower back, upper extremity, and shoulder pain among young basketball players.

Background Low back pain (LBP) is a common problem among young basketball players in addition to lower extremity injuries. However, studies that focus on LBP with lower extremity pain are limited. From the perspective of the kinematic chain, disrupted lower extremity function can lead to LBP. The association between these two symptoms in basketball players, however, has not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the association between lower extremity pain and LBP among young basketball players. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on school-aged basketball players (n = 592). Information regarding their sporting activities was collected using a self-reported questionnaire. Musculoskeletal pain such as low back, knee, and ankle pain was assessed. The sports players with knee and/or ankle pain were defined as having lower extremity pain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between lower extremity pain and LBP. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. The associations of knee or ankle pain with LBP were similarly assessed. Results School-aged basketball players had a point prevalence of 12.8% for LBP. Compared with the players without lower extremity pain, the players with lower extremity pain had higher rates of LBP, with an adjusted OR (95% CI) of 6.21 (3.57–10.80). There was also a significant association of knee and ankle pain with LBP. Compared with the players without knee or ankle pain, the adjusted ORs (95% CI) for LBP were 4.25 (2.55–7.07) in the players with knee pain and 3.79 (2.26–6.36) in the players with ankle pain. Conclusions Lower extremity pain was associated with LBP among school-aged basketball players. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanism of this association, which will provide useful information for prevention and treatment of LBP among young basketball players.

Background Functional disability is a significant problem after natural disasters. Musculoskeletal pain is reported to increase after disasters, which can cause functional disability among survivors. However, the effects of musculoskeletal pain on functional decline after natural disasters are unclear. The present study aimed to examine the association between musculoskeletal pain and new-onset poor physical function among elderly survivors after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted on survivors aged ≥65 years at three and 4 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. A total of 747 persons were included in this study. Physical function was assessed using the Kihon Checklist. New-onset poor physical function was defined as low physical function not present at 3 years but present at 4 years after the disaster. Knee, hand or foot, low back, shoulder, and neck pain was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire and was defined as musculoskeletal pain. Musculoskeletal pain at 3 years after the disaster was categorized according to the number of pain regions (0, 1, ≥ 2). Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for new-onset poor physical function due to musculoskeletal pain. Results The incidence of new-onset poor physical function was 14.9%. New-onset poor physical function was significantly associated with musculoskeletal pain. Compared with “0” musculoskeletal pain region, the adjusted ORs (95% CI) were 1.39 (0.75–2.58) and 2.69 (1.52–4.77) in “1” and “≥ 2” musculoskeletal pain regions, respectively (p for trend = 0.003). Conclusions Musculoskeletal pain is associated with new-onset poor physical function among elderly survivors after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Monitoring musculoskeletal pain is important to prevent physical function decline after natural disasters.

No abstract

Skeletal muscle health is important for the prevention of various age-related diseases. The loss of skeletal muscle mass, which is known as sarcopenia, underlies physical disability, poor quality of life and chronic diseases in elderly people. The transcription factor NRF2 plays important roles in the regulation of the cellular defense against oxidative stress, as well as the metabolism and mitochondrial activity. To determine the contribution of skeletal muscle NRF2 to exercise capacity, we conducted skeletal muscle-specific inhibition of KEAP1, which is a negative regulator of NRF2, and examined the cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effects of NRF2 pathway activation in skeletal muscles. We found that NRF2 activation in skeletal muscles increased slow oxidative muscle fiber type and improved exercise endurance capacity in female mice. We also observed that female mice with NRF2 pathway activation in their skeletal muscles exhibited enhanced exercise-induced mobilization and β-oxidation of fatty acids. These results indicate that NRF2 activation in skeletal muscles promotes communication with adipose tissues via humoral and/or neuronal signaling and facilitates the utilization of fatty acids as an energy source, resulting in increased mitochondrial activity and efficient energy production during exercise, which leads to improved exercise endurance.