Mechanical lower back pain and sacroiliac joint dysfunction in golfers at two golf clubs in Durban, South Africa.
Siyabonga H Kunene, Hlengiwe Luthuli, Mthandeni Nkosi and 3 others
PMID 30135917WHAT IT FOUND
In 271 amateur golfers, 123 reported recent mechanical lower back pain and 62 had sacroiliac joint dysfunction on screening; 60 had both, and the two problems often occurred together.
Consider checking the joint, but this is not proof that treating it relieves pain.
Key findings
01123 participants reported recent mechanical lower back pain, 62 had sacroiliac joint dysfunction on screening, and 60 had both.
02The study found a strong association between mechanical lower back pain and sacroiliac joint dysfunction.
03The paper reported relationships between mechanical lower back pain and age and golfing experience, and between sacroiliac joint dysfunction and age and golfing experience.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The participants were selected from two clubs rather than randomly chosen; 235 of 271 were male and 131 of 271 were white, so it may not represent all golfers. The study measured pain and dysfunction at the same time, so it cannot show which came first or whether one caused the other. Mechanical lower back pain was self-reported on a questionnaire, not clinically diagnosed. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction was identified by physical screening tests, not by a definitive diagnostic standard. The study did not test whether treating sacroiliac joint dysfunction changes pain.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that sacroiliac joint dysfunction causes mechanical lower back pain in golfers. This was a cross-sectional association study, and it did not test whether treating the joint changes pain.