Back pain in elite sports: A cross-sectional study on 1114 athletes

Abstract

ObjectivesTo establish the prevalence of back pain in German elite athletes; examine the influence of age, sex, sports discipline and training volume; and compare elite athletes with a physically active control group.MethodsA standardized and validated online back pain questionnaire was sent by the German Olympic Sports Confederation to approximately 4,000 German national and international elite athletes, and a control group of 253 physically active but non-elite sports students.ResultsWe received responses from 1,114 elite athletes (46.5% male and 53.1% female, mean age 20.9 years ± 4.8 years, mean height 176.5 ± 11.5 cm, mean weight 71.0 ± 10.3 kg) and 166 physically active sports students (74.7% male and 24.1 female, mean age 21.2 ± 2.0 years, mean height 180.0 ± 8.0 cm, mean weight 74.0 ± 14.5 kg). In elite athletes, the lifetime prevalence of back pain was 88.5%, the 12-month prevalence was 81.1%, the 3-month prevalence was 68.3% and the point prevalence was 49.0%, compared with 80.7%, 69.9%, 59.0% and 42.8%, respectively in the control group. The lifetime, 12-month and 3-month prevalences in elite athletes were significantly higher than in the control group. Regarding the individual sports disciplines, the prevalence of back pain was significantly higher in elite rowers, dancers, fencers, gymnasts, track and field athletes, figure skaters and marksmen, and those who play underwater rugby, water polo, basketball, hockey and ice hockey compared with the control group. The prevalence of back pain was significantly lower in elite triathletes.ConclusionsBack pain is a common complaint in German elite athletes. Low back pain seems to be a problem in both elite athletes and physically active controls. A high training volume in elite athletes and a low training volume in physically active individuals might increase prevalence rates. Our findings indicate the necessity for specific prevention programs, especially in high-risk sports. Further research should investigate the optimal dose-effect relationship of sporting activity for the general population to prevent back pain.

Back Pain in Rowers: A Cross-sectional Study on Prevalence, Pain Characteristics and Risk Factors

“…The design of the study questionnaire was based on validated, standardized and internationally accepted questionnaires and is described elsewhere in detail [12]. The questionnaire included several questions about BP, including separate questions about the neck, upper back, and lower back.…”

“…In this area, the transition from natural lordosis to kyphosis places special demands on the spine. Forces manifested as axial compression, distraction, and rotation especially affect the spine in this area [12]. Additionally, the high frequency of end-range lumbar spine positions in different sports are associated with a potential risk for LBP [23 -25].…”

“…Belavý et al [5] reported, that damage of the intervertebral discs is more common in sports with a more frequently occurrence of traumatic spinal injury (e. g., gymnastics, wrestling), in sports in which the spine is exposed to high-impact loads with partially unpredictable landing forces (e. g., horseback riding, volleyball), and in sports which involve repetitive loading of the spine during extreme motions or loads (e. g., gymnastics, cricket, weightlifting, rowing). However, prevalence of BP in rowers seems to be relatively high compared with these other sports [6,12], which might be due to the combination of high training volumes and spinal kinematics during rowing [16,34,35]. During the multitude of stroke cycles that are done during rowing great forces are placed on the spine which has been postulated to predispose the rower to back injury and pain [36].…”

Role of Musculoskeletal Radiology in Modern Sports Medicine

“…15 Although the incidence of low back pain is widespread, heterogeneous, and sport specific, it is even more prevalent in high-performance athletes than in the general population, 16,17 and it approaches 100% in sports such as rowing, gymnastics, and track and field athletics. 18 It is one of the most debilitating symptoms experienced by elite athletes and accounts for significant time missed from competition. [19][20][21][22] CT-guided injection is a safe diagnostic and therapeutic intervention for pathology involving the facet joints, 23,24 sacroiliac joints, 25,26 and selected spinal nerve roots, 27,28 allowing both the localization of the exact source of symptoms, which can be a diagnostic quandary, and effective symptom relief.…”

Funktionsbasierte Beurteilung der Belastbarkeit nach Wirbelsäulenverletzungen – Entscheidungshilfe für die Rückkehr zur körperlichen Aktivität

“…Beim Thema Rückenschmerzen zeigt sich bei eigentlich eindrücklicher Tagesproblematik ein gänzlich anderes Bild. Die Prävalenz von Rückenschmerzen bei Sportlern ist vergleichbar oder sogar höher als in der Allgemeinbevölkerung [6] [7]. Die Ausfallzeiten nach Rückenproblemen sind häufig länger als nach Verletzungen an den Extremitäten [8].…”