Trunk muscular endurance, lumbar spine mobility and hip flexibility in sailors with and without low back pain

Laís Marinho De Araújo,Suzana Matheus Pereira,Elisa Dell’Antonio,Helio Roesler,Marcel Hubert,Caroline Ruschel

doi:10.1590/1980-5918.033.ao34

Laís Marinho De Araújo, Suzana Matheus Pereira + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5918.033.ao34

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Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Low back pain is one of the most common injuries in sailors. Findings in the literature indicate that poor trunk endurance, flexibility and muscle strength are common in individuals with low back pain (LBP). Objective: Analyze trunk muscle endurance, lumbar spine mobility and hip flexibility in windsurfers with and without low back pain. Method: Sailors of both sexes with at least three years’ experience in the sport answered the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and were submitted to Schober’s test, the passive straight leg raise (PSLR), the modified Thomas test, and isometric endurance assessment of the flexor, extensor and lateral flexor muscles of the torso. The sailors were divided into two groups (with and without LBP) and compared using the Student’s t-test or Mann Whitney U test. Results: Participants were 22 national-level sailors, 11 with low back pain (LBP) and 11 without (NLBP). The LBP group obtained longer holding times for the trunk extensors (p=0.028) and a greater difference in endurance between the right and left sides for lateral trunk muscles (p=0.030). Both groups obtained results below normative values in most of the tests performed. Conclusion: Sailors with low back pain exhibited greater trunk extensor endurance and a larger imbalance between lateral trunk muscles when compared to those with no LBP. Spinal mobility and hip flexibility were similar between groups.

Highlights

Low back pain is one of the most common injuries in sailors
Findings in the literature indicate that poor trunk endurance, flexibility and muscle strength are common in individuals with low back pain (LBP)
Low trunk extensor endurance is a known predictor of LBP [14 - 16] and abdominal muscle weakness or fatigue may result in greater hip flexor muscle recruitment and activity during hiking

Summary

Introduction

Low back pain (LBP) is a worldwide problem [1, 2], affecting athletes in a wide range of sports [2 4]. Findings in the literature indicate that sports requiring repeated hyperextension of the spine have a high incidence of low back pain [9 - 12] In this respect, low trunk extensor endurance is a known predictor of LBP [14 - 16] and abdominal muscle weakness or fatigue may result in greater hip flexor muscle recruitment and activity during hiking. Low trunk extensor endurance is a known predictor of LBP [14 - 16] and abdominal muscle weakness or fatigue may result in greater hip flexor muscle recruitment and activity during hiking This tends to promote lordosis, resulting in high compression and shearing forces, which act on the posterior surface of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, thereby increasing the potential risk of chronic injury [8]. In light of the above, this study aimed to analyze trunk muscle endurance, lumbar spine mobility and hip flexibility in sailors with and without low back pain

Participants

Procedures

Conclusion