A cross-sectional survey of 439 children/adolescents aged 12-13, living in Odense, Denmark, in the year 2001. To investigate (1) if there is any difference in back pain reporting among those practising specific sports as compared with non-performers and (2) if there is an association between specific kinds of sports and self-reported back problems. Back pain is a common complaint in young people and physical inactivity is generally thought to contribute to this. However, some specific sport activities may be detrimental or beneficial to the spine. Information was collected through a semi-structured interview, a physical examination, and a questionnaire. Associations for back pain, low back pain, mid back pain and neck pain in the preceding month were investigated in relation to specific sports. Associations were controlled for body mass index, puberty stage and sex. There was no association between back problems and the practising of sports in general. However, some sports were either positively or negatively associated with back pain. Taking into account the relatively small subgroups and multiple testing, some sports seem to be potentially harmful or beneficial. These sports should be investigated in proper longitudinal study designs, in relation to their effects on back problems in the young.

16 % of women that reported PP during pregnancy were found to have persistent PGP 3-6 months after the delivery. Women with risk factors for persistent PGP should be identified while pregnant, and offered a follow-up examination 3 months after delivery.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the subjective recovery from pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP) during the first 6 weeks after delivery and to detect possible risk factors for a poor recovery. Methods The participants were included in this study at the routine ultrasound examination at 18 weeks of pregnancy. The women received a weekly SMS with the question "How many days during the last week has your PGP been bothersome?" The SMS-track from the final 10 weeks of pregnancy and first 6 weeks after delivery were assessed and sorted, based on individual graphs. A total of 130 women who reported PGP during pregnancy and met for clinical examination 6 weeks after delivery were included in the study. Results In all, 83% of the women experienced substantial recovery from severe or moderate PGP within 6 weeks after delivery. Of these, 44% reported a substantial recovery already within 2 weeks after delivery. More multiparous women, women reporting PGP the year before pregnancy, and women with high pain intensity during pregnancy had a poor recovery. Conclusions The prognosis following PGP in pregnancy is good and the majority of women recovered substantially from severe and moderate pregnancy-related PGP within 6 weeks after delivery. For many women, a subjective substantial recovery occurred within 2 weeks after delivery. Predictors for a poor recovery were multiparity, PGP the year before pregnancy and a high pain intensity during pregnancy.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of chiropractic management for a subgroup of pregnant women with dominating one-sided pelvic girdle pain (PGP).MethodsThe study population was recruited from a prospective longitudinal cohort study of pregnant women. Women reporting pelvic pain (PP), and who were diagnosed with dominating one-sided PGP after a clinical examination, were invited to participate in the intervention study. Recruitment took place either at 18 weeks, or after an SMS-tracking up to week 29. The women were randomized into a treatment group or a control group. The treatment group received chiropractic treatment individualized to each woman with regards to treatment modality and number of treatments. The control group was asked to return to conventional primary health care. The primary outcome measure was new occurrence of full time and/or graded sick leave due to PP and/or low back pain. Secondary outcome measures were self-reported PP, physical disability and general health status. Proportion of women reporting new occurrence of sick leave were compared using Chi squared tests. Differences in secondary outcome measures were estimated using linear regression analyses.ResultsFifty-Six women were recruited, and 28 of them were randomized into the treatment group, and 28 into the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in sick leave, PP, disability or general health status between the two groups during pregnancy or after delivery.ConclusionThe study did not demonstrate superiority of chiropractic management over conventional care for dominating one-sided PGP during pregnancy. However, the analyses revealed wide confidence intervals containing both positive and negative clinically relevant effects. Trial registrationThe study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01098136; 22/03/2010).

ObjectiveTo explore if pregnant women with pelvic girdle pain (PGP), subgrouped following the results from two clinical tests with high validity and reliability, differ in demographic characteristics and weekly amount of days with bothersome symptoms through the second half of pregnancy.DesignA prospective longitudinal cohort study.ParticipantsPregnant women with pelvic and lumbopelvic pain due for their second-trimester routine ultrasound examination.SettingObstetric outpatient clinic at Stavanger University Hospital, Norway.MethodsWomen reporting pelvic and lumbopelvic pain completed a questionnaire on demographic and clinical features. They were clinically examined following a test procedure recommended in the European guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PGP. Women without pain symptoms completed a questionnaire on demographic data. All women were followed weekly through an SMS-Track survey until delivery.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe outcome measures were the results from clinical diagnostic tests for PGP and the number of days per week with bothersome pelvic pain.Results503 women participated. 42% (212/503) reported pain in the lumbopelvic region and 39% (196/503) fulfilled the criteria for a probable PGP diagnosis. 27% (137/503) reported both the posterior pelvic pain provocation (P4) and the active straight leg raise (ASLR) tests positive at baseline in week 18, revealing 7.55 (95% CI 5.54 to 10.29) times higher mean number of days with bothersome pelvic pain compared with women with both tests negative. They presented the highest scores for workload, depressed mood, pain level, body mass index, Oswestry Disability Index and the number of previous pregnancies. Exercising regularly before and during pregnancy was more common in women with negative tests.ConclusionIf both P4 and ASLR tests were positive mid-pregnancy, a persistent bothersome pelvic pain of more than 5 days per week throughout the remainder of pregnancy could be predicted. Increased individual control over work situation and an active lifestyle, including regular exercise before and during pregnancy, may serve as a PGP prophylactic.