Low back pain in female adolescent gymnasts and functional pain scales

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the scores of gymnasts with low back pain (LBP) on two functional pain scales: the Micheli Functional Scale (MFS) and the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Gymnastics facilities.

Participants: Female gymnasts aged 7-18 years.

Main outcome measures: We grouped gymnasts into those having pain affecting gymnastics and those with pain not affecting gymnastics and then compared MFS and ODQ scores for various activities.

Results: Eleven of the 29 participants (38%) endorsed LBP during gymnastics and 18 had LBP not affecting gymnastics. There were no demographic differences between the two groups. A significantly greater proportion of gymnasts who had pain during gymnastics reported pain with jumping (N = 11, 100% vs N = 8, 44%, p = 0.003) and lifting weights (N = 4, 36% vs N = 0, p = 0.016) compared to those not having pain during gymnastics. There were no significant differences between the two groups for pain with spine flexion or extension or for hip flexibility.

Conclusions: Although gymnastics requires extreme flexion and extension of the spine, gymnasts whose pain affects them during gymnastics do not endorse more pain with these movements. Gymnasts with LBP during gymnastics are more likely to have pain with jumping and with lifting weights.

Keywords: Artistic gymnastics; Functional pain scales; Jumping; Lifting.