Low Back Pain Functional Disability in Athletes; Conceptualization and Initial Development of a Questionnaire

Background: low back pain (lbp) is one of the most prevalent causes of disability not only in the general population but also in athletes. despite a large number of self-reported back specific disability questionnaires,there is no specific,well documented,outcome measure for athletes suffering from back pain. objectives: this study aimed to identify the main descriptive themes representing functional disability in athletes due to lbp. patients and methods: we conducted a qualitative study using in-depth interviews to characterize the experiences of athletes with lbp. twenty athletes with lbp were recruited and the main descriptive elements of their lbp related disability were extracted. then a preliminary questionnaire using these themes was proposed. results: the main disability indicators were pain intensity; stretching exercises,strengthening exercises,sport specific skills,back range of motion (rom),sitting,walking,sleep patterns,self-care,and recreational activities,fear of pain and avoidance behavior,and changes in sexual activity. conclusions: the findings of this study suggest that apart from non-sports items,some sport related items should be included in the assessment of lbp disability levels in athletes. our results have also been organized as a preliminary lbp disability questionnaire for athletes.