Body mass, nonspecific low back pain, and anatomical changes in the lumbar spine in judo athletes

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of a specific population. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and coprevalence of nonspecific low back pain (nsLBP) and lumbar radiological abnormalities (LRA) in judo athletes. BACKGROUND: nsLBP and LRA occur frequently in judo athletes. High body mass has been reported to be associated with both nsLBP and LRA. METHODS AND MEASURES: The subjects comprised 82 male judo athletes (mean +/- SD age, 20.1 +/- 0.9 years) from 3 weight categories: lightweight (n = 29), middleweight (n = 31), and heavyweight (n = 22). The presence of nsLBP was evaluated using a questionnaire. LRA were examined using plain-film radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging. The prevalence of nsLBP and LRA were compared among weight categories. RESULTS: The prevalence of nsLBP in the lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight categories was 34.5%, 32.3%, and 40.9%, respectively. For LRA, prevalence for the 3 weight categories was 65.5%, 90.3%, and 90.9%, respectively (middleweight and heavyweight greater prevalence than lightweight [P <.05]). The prevalence of LRA in athletes with nsLBP in each category was 50.0%, 100%, and 88.9%, respectively (middleweight greater prevalence than lightweight [P <.05]). The prevalence of LRA in athletes without nLBP in each category was 73.7%, 85.7%, and 92.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of LRA was approximately 90% in the middleweight and heavyweight categories, which was greater than for the lightweight category. There was a large coprevalence of nsLBP and LRA. However, many judo athletes without nsLBP had LRA. The presence of LRA may not have a direct association with nsLBP.