The Association among Physical Activity, Sociodemographic, Trunk Muscles Thickness and Low Back Pain-Related Disability in Amateur Soccer Players: An Observational Study

Abstract

Objective Although low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders, there is limited evidence assessing which factors contribute LBP severity in amateur athletes. We aimed to analyze relationships between sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle and lumbar multifidus (LM) at L4 and L5 levels, rectus abdominis (RA), external and internal obliques (EO and IO) and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscles thickness assessed with ultrasound imaging (US) variables with lumbar disability in amateur athletes with LBP and lumbar disc herniation.

Methods Eighty-two male amateur soccer athletes were analyzed. Demographic data, internal hip rotation, finger-floor distance, pain intensity, number of LBP episodes within the last year, metabolic equivalent of tasks for physical activity, sitting time, muscle thickness and disability caused by LBP were collected.

Results Pain intensity showed significant associations with LBP recurrence, disability, sedentarism, trunk and hip flexibility, vigorous physical activity and TrA, EO and RA muscles thickness (p<0.05). Similarly, disability was associated with number of LBP episodes, vigorous activity, sitting time, finger floor distance, and RA, EO and IO muscles thickness (p<0.05). TrA thickness and internal hip rotation were not associated with lumbar disability (p>0.05).

Conclusion LBP intensity and pain-related disability were significantly associated with LBP episodes, vigorous activity, sitting time, finger floor distance, and thickness of abdominal muscles were associated with pain intensity and disability. However, lumbar multifidus thickness at rest, ankle dorsiflexion and walking time were not associated with clinical severity.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel Obwohl Rückenschmerzen im unteren Bereich zu den häufigsten muskuloskelettalen Erkrankungen gehören, gibt es nur begrenzte Beweise dafür, welche Faktoren zur Schwere der LBP bei Amateurathleten beitragen. Wir beabsichtigten, die Beziehungen zwischen soziodemografischen, klinischen, Lebensstil- und Dicke der Lumbar Multifidus auf L4- und L5-Ebenen, Rectus Abdominis, externen und internen Obliques und Transversus Abdominis Muskeln zu analysieren, die mit Ultraschallbildgebung in Amateurathleten mit Rückenschmerzen und Bandscheibenvorfall bewertet wurden.

Methoden Zweiundachtzig männliche Amateurfußballspieler wurden analysiert. Erhoben wurden demografische Daten, innere Hüftrotation, Finger-Boden-Abstand, Schmerzintensität, Anzahl der Rückenschmerzepisoden im letzten Jahr, metabolisches Äquivalent von Aufgaben für körperliche Aktivität, Sitzzeit, Muskeldicke und durch Rückenschmerzen verursachte Behinderung.

Ergebnisse Die Schmerzintensität zeigte signifikante Zusammenhänge mit Rückenschmerzrezidiven, Behinderung, Sedentarismus, Rumpf- und Hüftflexibilität, intensiver körperlicher Aktivität und Dicke der Transversus Abdominis, externen Oblique und Rectus Abdominis Muskeln (p<0.05). Ähnlich war die Behinderung assoziiert mit der Anzahl der Rückenschmerzepisoden, intensiver Aktivität, Sitzzeit, Finger-Boden-Abstand und Dicke der Rectus Abdominis und externen und internen Obliques Muskeln (p<0.05). Die Dicke des Transversus Abdominis und die innere Hüftrotation waren nicht mit lumbarer Behinderung assoziiert (p>0.05).

Fazit Die Intensität des unteren Rückenschmerzes und die schmerzbedingte Behinderung waren signifikant mit der Anzahl der Episoden, intensiver Aktivität, Sitzzeit, Finger-Boden-Abstand und Dicke der Bauchmuskeln verbunden, die mit Schmerzintensität und Behinderung in Verbindung standen. Die Dicke des lumbalen Multifidus in Ruhe, die Dorsalflexion des Knöchels und die Gehzeit waren jedoch nicht mit der klinischen Schwere verbunden.

Key words

low back pain - rehabilitation targets - quality-of-life

Schlüsselwörter

Schmerz - Rehabilitationsziele - Lebensqualität

Publication History

Received: 23 June 2023

Accepted: 01 November 2023

Article published online:
04 December 2023

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