ArticlePloS one2017
Back pain in elite sports: A cross-sectional study on 1114 athletes.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 57 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 147 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence, risk factors, and conservative management of low back pain in competitive gymnasts: a systematic review.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Pooled it
- Injury and illness in short-course triathletes: A systematic review.Journal of sport and health science · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Muscle Strength and Power in Trained Male Individuals: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Pooled it
- Prevalence and incidence of low back pain among runners: a systematic review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2020Pooled it
- Association between posterior thigh tightness and lifetime low back pain in young basketball players: a cross-sectional study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- The Association Between Hip Flexibility and Low Back Pain in Ice Hockey Players.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Development and internal validation of a field-based triage tool for lumbopelvic-hip dysfunction in collegiate athletes.PloS one · 2026Article
- Response: "Nonspecific lower back pain in overhead athletes is multifactorial and is not solely determined by the type and intensity of the sport".South African journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Risk factors associated with low back pain in rowers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Intermuscular adipose tissue and lean muscle mass assessed with MRI in people with chronic back pain in Germany: a retrospective observational study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2025Article
- Comparison of Temporomandibular Disorder Signs and Symptoms in CrossFitInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Low Back Pain in South African Adolescent Field Hockey Players: Implications for Future Practice.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Enhancing Clinical Insights: New Radiographic Grading for Lumbar Facet Joint Degeneration, A Reliability Study.JOR spine · 2025Article
- High Prevalence of Low Back Pain in College Rifle Athletes.International journal of sports physical therapy · 2025Article
- Prevalence and risk factors of non-specific low back pain among amateur overhead athletes in Gauteng Province.South African journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Physical and psychological differences between athletes with and without chronic primary low back pain: a scoping review.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Review
- Sex-specific trunk movement coordination in participants with low-back pain and asymptomatic controls.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- A double-blind randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of the Mézières method and Isostretching postures in sagittal stand position evaluated through the Spinal MouseArchives of medical science : AMS · 2025Article
- Potential neurophysiological and biomechanical risk factors for sport-related back problems: A scoping review.Sports medicine and health science · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo establish the prevalence of back pain in German elite athletes; examine the influence of age, sex, sports discipline and training volume; and compare elite athletes with a physically active control group.
methodsA standardized and validated online back pain questionnaire was sent by the German Olympic Sports Confederation to approximately 4,000 German national and international elite athletes, and a control group of 253 physically active but non-elite sports students.
resultsWe received responses from 1,114 elite athletes (46.5% male and 53.1% female, mean age 20.9 years ± 4.8 years, mean height 176.5 ± 11.5 cm, mean weight 71.0 ± 10.3 kg) and 166 physically active sports students (74.7% male and 24.1 female, mean age 21.2 ± 2.0 years, mean height 180.0 ± 8.0 cm, mean weight 74.0 ± 14.5 kg). In elite athletes, the lifetime prevalence of back pain was 88.5%, the 12-month prevalence was 81.1%, the 3-month prevalence was 68.3% and the point prevalence was 49.0%, compared with 80.7%, 69.9%, 59.0% and 42.8%, respectively in the control group. The lifetime, 12-month and 3-month prevalences in elite athletes were significantly higher than in the control group. Regarding the individual sports disciplines, the prevalence of back pain was significantly higher in elite rowers, dancers, fencers, gymnasts, track and field athletes, figure skaters and marksmen, and those who play underwater rugby, water polo, basketball, hockey and ice hockey compared with the control group. The prevalence of back pain was significantly lower in elite triathletes.
conclusionsBack pain is a common complaint in German elite athletes. Low back pain seems to be a problem in both elite athletes and physically active controls. A high training volume in elite athletes and a low training volume in physically active individuals might increase prevalence rates. Our findings indicate the necessity for specific prevention programs, especially in high-risk sports. Further research should investigate the optimal dose-effect relationship of sporting activity for the general population to prevent back pain.
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