An epidemiologic study of sports and weight lifting as possible risk factors for herniated lumbar and cervical discs

Abstract

The associations between participation in several specific sports, use of free weights, and use of weight lifting equipment and herniated lumbar or cervical intervertebral discs were examined in a case-control epidemiologic study. Specific sports considered were baseball or softball, golf, bowling, swimming, diving, jogging, aerobics, and racquet sports. Included in the final analysis were 287 patients with lumbar disc herniation and 63 patients with cervical disc herniation, each matched by sex, source of care, and decade of age to 1 control who was free of disc herniation and other conditions of the back or neck. Results indicated that most sports are not associated with an increased risk of herniation, and may be protective. Relative risk estimates for the association between individual sports and lumbar or cervical herniation were generally less than or close to 1.0. There was, however, a weak positive association between bowling and herniation at both the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine. Use of weight lifting equipment was not associated with herniated lumbar or cervical disc, but a possible association was indicated between use of free weights and risk of cervical herniation (relative risk, 1.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 4.74).

Lower back pain in golfers: a review of the literature

“…8 Research has showed that golfers had a 0.59 relative risk of herniated disc to those that do not play the sport, while those that play >2 times a week have a Thus, there appears to be a reduced risk of disc herniation in golfers compared to the general population. 26 Sugaya et al 27 examined LBP among right handed professional golfers (n=282). They found that of those with LBP (n=154), 51% suffered right side pain, 28% left and 21% central pain.…”

Psychosocial Factors Related to Low Back Pain among School Personnel in Nagoya, Japan.

“…Additionally, high LBP rates among athletes are well-known and excessive exercise during the growth period leads to future LBP 25,26) . Although moderate exercise prevents LBP 27,28) , many PE teachers could possess extensive sports experience. Very few reports exist regarding LBP among PE teachers in Japan; consequently, future studies pertaining to detailed sports and medical histories as well as daily physical activity will be necessary.…”

The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Training Sports

“…No economic cost data appears to have been reported in any of the weight training injury epidemiology studies to date, even though there exists the potential for weight training to have economic costs related to the pain, discomfort and disability that the athletes may experience [50,51]. Some insight into the economic cost of injuries may be obtained from outcomes including the cost of injury-related treatment during the athletes' competitive years, the duration and nature of injury-related treatment after retiring as well as the loss of school or work time associated with injury.…”