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Low back pain in adolescent female rowers: a multi-dimensional intervention study

  • Sports Medicine
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether a multi-dimensional intervention programme was effective in reducing the incidence of low back pain (LBP) and the associated levels of pain and disability in schoolgirl rowers. This non-randomised controlled trial involved an intervention (INT) group consisting of 90 schoolgirl rowers from one school and a control (CTRL) group consisting of 131 participants from three other schools. All participants in the INT group underwent a multi-dimensional programme that consisted of an individualised exercise programme based on an individual musculoskeletal screening (Week 1) and a LBP education session conducted by a physiotherapist (Week 2) and performed an off-water-conditioning programme conducted by a Physical Education teacher. All exercises were undertaken during the season. Primary outcome variables collected at Start-season, Mid-season, End-season and Post-season included the incidence of LBP and related levels of pain and disability. Secondary outcome variables from the bio-psycho-social domain were measured at Start-season and End-season in the INT group only. The INT group had a lower incidence of LBP at Mid-season and End-season and displayed significantly better results than the CTRL group for improvers and non-improvers with respect to the levels of pain and disability. The INT group following the intervention also displayed improved physical fitness levels, sat with significantly less anterior tilt of the pelvis and lumbar kyphosis when in their usual sitting posture and demonstrated positive changes in their behaviour. The multi-dimensional approach to reducing the incidence of LBP, pain and disability in schoolgirl rowers in this study was effective. Several secondary outcome variables measured in the INT group considered to be of importance in LBP significantly improved. These included physical fitness (aerobic conditioning, lower limb and back muscle endurance and sit and reach flexibility) and seated posture (usual and slump sitting).

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge Perth College for funding this study, its staff for the assistance in the implementation and all of the rowers who participated. They also thank Tim Mitchell, Alison Thorpe, Liz Pyne, Sarah Wiin, Joao Paulo Caneiro, Linda Gooch, Jenny Woods and Wim Dankaerts for providing the physiotherapist intervention, John Watson for assisting with the data collection and Katherine Cheng for analysing the Child Behaviour Checklists. Thanks also to Lars Ankarberg, Megan Gooding, Rogier Nelis, Frank Offermann and Jannike Persson for their assistance. Finally, we would like to thank Gemma DeKnock, David Milne, Fiona Wilkinson, Keith Reynolds, Gavin Russell, Clare Reeson and Alison Turner who were the rowing co-ordinators from the participating schools.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Debra Perich & Angus Burnett

  2. School of Physiotherapy, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, WA, Australia

    Peter O’Sullivan

  3. Body Logic Physiotherapy, Subiaco, WA, Australia

    Chris Perkin

  4. 1805/100 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, VIC, 3008, Australia

    Debra Perich

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  1. Debra Perich
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  2. Angus Burnett
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Correspondence to Debra Perich.

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Perich, D., Burnett, A., O’Sullivan, P. et al. Low back pain in adolescent female rowers: a multi-dimensional intervention study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 19, 20–29 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-010-1173-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-010-1173-6

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