Comparison of Core Muscle Strength, Trunk Flexor and Spine Extensor Muscles Endurance, Lumbar Lordosis Angle and Thoracic Kyphosis in Taekwondo Athletes with and without Low Back Pain

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common diseases that professional athletes could suffer from and may be caused by a decrease in strength of the core muscles; and trunk flexor and spine extensor muscles endurance or spine malalignment. The aim of this study was to compare the strength of core muscles, endurance of trunk flexor and spine extensor muscles, lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis in taekwondo athletes with/without LBP.

Thirty adolescents-youth male taekwondo athletes (15 people with and 15 without LBP) participated in the study. The endurance of the trunk flexor muscles, the endurance of the spinal extensor muscles, the strength of the core muscles were assessed with the trunk flexion test at an angle of 60 degrees, the modified Biering-Sorenson test, pressure biofeedback, respectively. Kyphosis and spinal lordosis was also assessed with a flexible ruler.

There was a difference between athletes with LBP and with lordosis and kyphosis with those without LBP and without lordosis and kyphosis. There was also a difference between athletes with and without LBP in the strength of the core muscles and the endurance of the trunk flexor and extensor muscles.

It is recommended to develop the strength of the core muscles as well as the endurance of trunk flexor and extensor muscles in order to prevent and eliminate LBP in Taekwondo athletes. It is also necessary to pay attention to spinal malalignments such as kyphosis and lordosis and eliminate them to reduce LBP.