TY - JOUR
T1 - Does elite swimming accelerate lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration and increase low back pain?
T2 - A cross-sectional comparison
AU - Folkvardsen, Steffen
AU - Magnussen, Erland
AU - Karppinen, Jaro
AU - Auvinen, Juha
AU - Larsen, Rasmus Hertzum
AU - Wong, Christian
AU - Bendix, Tom
PY - 2016/9
Y1 - 2016/9
N2 - PURPOSE: The aim was to elucidate elite swimming's possible influence on lumbar disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP).METHODS: Lumbar spine MRI was performed on a group of elite swimmers and compared to a matched Finnish population-based no-sport group.RESULTS: One hundred elite swimmers and 96 no-sport adults, mean age 18.7/20.8, respectively, participated. Overall, the two groups had similar prevalence of DD. Swimmers had more DD in the upper lumbar spine but tended to have less DD at the lowest level. Prevalence of bulges and disc herniations were similar, but swimmers had significantly more bulges at L4-5. The swimmers reported less LBP, although not significantly (N.S.). If degenerative findings were present, the association between them and LBP was stronger in the no-sport group.CONCLUSION: Elite swimmers and controls had similar prevalence of DD and LBP, although the pattern of DD differed between the groups. In case of DD, swimmers reported less LBP, although N.S.
AB - PURPOSE: The aim was to elucidate elite swimming's possible influence on lumbar disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP).METHODS: Lumbar spine MRI was performed on a group of elite swimmers and compared to a matched Finnish population-based no-sport group.RESULTS: One hundred elite swimmers and 96 no-sport adults, mean age 18.7/20.8, respectively, participated. Overall, the two groups had similar prevalence of DD. Swimmers had more DD in the upper lumbar spine but tended to have less DD at the lowest level. Prevalence of bulges and disc herniations were similar, but swimmers had significantly more bulges at L4-5. The swimmers reported less LBP, although not significantly (N.S.). If degenerative findings were present, the association between them and LBP was stronger in the no-sport group.CONCLUSION: Elite swimmers and controls had similar prevalence of DD and LBP, although the pattern of DD differed between the groups. In case of DD, swimmers reported less LBP, although N.S.
KW - Journal Article
U2 - 10.1007/s00586-016-4642-x
DO - 10.1007/s00586-016-4642-x
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 27289544
SN - 0940-6719
VL - 25
SP - 2849
EP - 2855
JO - European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
JF - European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
IS - 9
ER -