The Low back pain on elite volleyball players - Identification of biomorphological risk factors.

摘要

Low back pain in volleyball is a common phenomenon and not yet clear understood. The aim of this study is to identify and determine the influence of biomorphological and load risk factors on low back pain occurrences, on volleyball professional players. A self-answer questionnaire was distributed to 301 athletes of the Autonomous Region of Madeira in order to determine the prevalence of the injury, the prevalence pattern, as well as to characterize the load factors related to training. Due to convenience reasons, 124 athletes - with and without low back pain - were selected. A battery of tests was applied to these athletes to evaluate their body characteristics, flexibility, strength and lumbar mobility. The annual prevalence of low back pain, during the year 2005, was of 17.2percent. The most affected subgroup was the senior group (30.6percent). The gender was not an important indicator. Indirect trauma was the situation mostly mentioned as the cause for the complaints; the serve and spike were the technical gestures pointed out as he most problematic. The injuries occurred mainly during the train situations and were considered benign. The risk factors for low back pain occurrence found in this research were: age, years of practice and higher values of the abdominal and bicipital skinfold. The higher values of the crural skinfold and the practice of coordination exercises were considered protect factors. In conclusion it can be said that low back pain is indeed a reality in national volleyball. The risk factors reflect especially the impact of age and time of practice. It was verified that the increase of fat on the torso area are determinant to these athletes.