Severe back pain in elite athletes: a cross-sectional study on 929 top athletes of Germany

European Spine Journal : Official Publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
Saskia Sarah SchulzKarin Büttner-Janz

Abstract

The cross-sectional study evaluates the incidence, localization, treatment, and influencing factors of back pain (BP) in Germany's elite athletes. An online questionnaire was sent out to 3564 top athletes. We used the VAS to identify the intensity of BP and SPSS for statistical analyses. 929 athletes responded. 514 (55.3%) had BP within the last 12 months, mainly located in the lumbar spine (n = 293, 56.1%). The average pain intensity was 5.75/10. Back-affecting exercise and additional burdens (e.g. at their place of work) did not increase the intensity of BP. When dividing the athletes into two groups according to the BP intensity, BP did not correlate with gender, age or BMI. At least every tenth athlete suffers temporarily from low BP at a level at which spine surgery could be the only option to relieve the pain. BP occurs independently of back-affecting training and additional stress. Further evaluation is needed to identify factors for avoiding severe BP in top athletes.

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Citations

Nov 15, 2016·European Journal of Sport Science·Jahan HeidariMichael Kellmann
Jul 1, 2017·PloS One·Daniela FettPetra Platen
May 10, 2018·European Journal of Sport Science·Johanna BelzJens Kleinert
Dec 21, 2017·BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine·Pia-Maria WippertFrank Mayer
Nov 16, 2017·Journal of Sport Rehabilitation·Jahan HeidariMichael Kellmann
Feb 12, 2017·BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation·Sabina CauciGiovanni Chiriacò
Apr 15, 2017·Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy : Official Journal of the ESSKA·Wisam A WitwitAdad Baranto
Jul 19, 2018·Frontiers in Neuroscience·María Moreno CataláAdamantios Arampatzis
Oct 21, 2020·British Journal of Sports Medicine·Fiona WilsonJane S Thornton

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