Low back pain in athletes and non-athletes: a group comparison of basic pain parameters and impact on sports activity

Low back pain (LBP) is a major health issue in athletes and non-athletes often accompanied by considerable restrictions in everyday functioning. Knowledge about differences between those groups regarding LBP parameters (intensity, duration, and disability) and their influence on daily life is still lacking. Hence, the present study aimed at the comparison of those LBP parameters between athletes and non-athletes and the impact of these factors on sports activity. Methods LBP patients receiving prescribed sport- or physiotherapeutic treatment (N = 264) completed a questionnaire battery to determine their LBP pain intensity, duration, chronification, disability, and changes in sports activity. The categorization into athletes and non-athletes was based on performance level. Uni- and multivariate analyses of (Co-) variance and nonparametric group comparisons were executed to analyze group differences. Results Disability was lower in the athlete’s group, especially concerning work ability (p\0.05). Athletes rather continued with their sports activity despite LBP (p\0.001). The interaction between age and difference in training volume showed that non-athletes (\29 years) reported a greater reduction of training volume from a pain free to a LBP phase compared to athletes in the respective age group. Conclusions The results imply that athletes with LBP perceive less impairment than non-athletes concerning disability and changes in training volume. Possible explanations can be inferred from different socialization processes and pain coping mechanisms among athletes. The outcomes contribute to the existing literature by adding specific knowledge about dissimilarities between athletes and non-athletes regarding the appraisal of LBP.