Prevalence of pre-existing recurrent low back pain in college athletes

This study questioned 1,040 college athletes about recurrent low back pain during their initial preparation physical examination. Only 20 athletes (1.9%) reported a previous history of recurrent low back pain. There were no differences between sports and history of back pain. Since low back pain is a frequent complaint during the career of college athletes and previous back pain is a risk factor for future pain, this data suggests that the majority of college athetes are not predisposed to low back pain secondary to a previous injury.