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

Introduction: 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\ua0=\ua0264) 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\ua