Comparison of subjective and objective evaluation of back injuries of elite taekwondo athletes

Objectives

This study sought to determine the relationship between the subjective evaluation of the low back pain scale and Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI) and the objective evaluation of muscle function and recovery period for elite Taekwondo players with back pain injuries.

Methods

The study included 57 elite Taekwondo athletes who participated in advanced competitions at a training camp for the year 2022. An independent-sample t-test was performed to compare the sex-specific measure of back pain, the MODI, muscle function, and recovery period. Pearson's correlation was used to investigate the relationship between variables, and simple linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting variables. Statistical significance was set to α = 0.05, and all statistical analyses were performed with SPSS version 27.0 for Windows.

Results

Male athletes had a lower pain scale (3.41 vs. 4.86; P = 0.006) and MODI (14.03 vs. 20.75; P = 0.004) than female athletes but longer recovery period (8.66 vs. 6.21; P = 0.033). Additionally, for all athletes, the pain scale and MODI affected the left/right rotation ratio (P < 0.001, P = 0.005, respectively) and the recovery period (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively), and, as the pain score and MODI increased, the left/right rotation ratio and recovery period also increased.

Conclusion

For all Taekwondo athletes, the pain score and MODI affected the ratio of the left/right rotation and recovery period. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an exercise program to alleviate the left/right rotation imbalance of Taekwondo athletes.