Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Br J Sports Med. 2021 Mar;55(6):327-335. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102514. Epub 2020 Oct 9.
Low back pain (LBP) is common in rowers and leads to considerable disability and even retirement. The athlete voice can help clinicians to better understand sport-related pain disorders. We aimed to capture the lived experience of LBP in rowers.
Cross-sectional qualitative study using a grounded theory approach. Adult competitive rowers with a rowing-related LBP history were recruited in Australia and Ireland. Data were collected through interviews that explored: context around the time of onset of their LBP and their subsequent journey, experiences of management/treatment, perspectives around present beliefs, fears, barriers and expectations for the future.
The 25 rowers (12 women/13 men) who participated were aged 18-50 years; they had a mean 12.1 years of rowing experience. They discussed a culture of concealment of pain from coaches and teammates, and fear of being judged as 'weak' because of the limitations caused by LBP. They reported fear and isolation as a result of their pain. They felt that the culture within rowing supported this. They reported inconsistent messages regarding management from medical staff. Some rowers reported being in a system where openness was encouraged-they regarded this a leading to better outcomes and influencing their LBP experience.
Rowers' lived experience of LBP was influenced by a pervasive culture of secrecy around symptoms. Rowers and support staff should be educated regarding the benefits of early disclosure and rowers should be supported to do so without judgement.
腰痛（LBP）在划艇运动员中很常见，导致相当大的残疾，甚至退役。运动员的声音可以帮助临床医生更好地了解与运动相关的疼痛障碍。我们旨在捕捉划艇运动员腰痛的真实体验。
采用扎根理论方法的横断面定性研究。在澳大利亚和爱尔兰招募了有划艇相关腰痛病史的成年竞技划艇运动员。通过访谈收集数据，探讨了他们腰痛发作时的背景以及随后的经历、管理/治疗的经验、对目前的信念、恐惧、障碍和对未来的期望的看法。
25 名参与者（12 名女性/13 名男性）年龄为 18-50 岁；他们有平均 12.1 年的划艇经验。他们讨论了一种对教练和队友隐瞒疼痛的文化，以及因腰痛导致的限制而害怕被视为“软弱”的恐惧。他们报告说因疼痛而感到恐惧和孤立。他们认为划船文化支持这种文化。他们报告说，医务人员对管理的信息不一致。一些划艇运动员报告说，他们所处的系统鼓励开放——他们认为这会带来更好的结果，并影响他们的腰痛体验。
划艇运动员腰痛的真实体验受到围绕症状的普遍保密文化的影响。应教育划艇运动员和支持人员早期披露的好处，并应支持他们这样做，而不会受到评判。
