International Research Journal of Sports Glimpses Reg. No.: 902/2012-2013 Vol.

No: II 2013

ASSOCIATION BETWEEN HAMSTRINGS TIGHTNESS AND LOW

BACK PAIN OF AMATEUR CRICKETERS

Dr.B.Arun* Dr.M.S.Nagarajan**
* Professor, K.G.College of Physiotherapy, K.G.Hospital, Coimbatore (T.N)-INDIA.
**Manager in Sports, Special Olympics, Asia Pacific Region, Chennai (T.N)-INDIA.
E.Mail:barunmpt@gmail.com
Abstract:
Back pain is one of the commonest ailments in sports. Approximately about 85% of
adults reporting back pain at least once. Low Back Pain is the very common in cricketers.
Amateur cricketers who don’t train as like professionals have high amount of low back pain.
One of the causative factors for the back pain is due to tightness of hamstrings. Aim of the
study was to find out the association between hamstring tightness and the low back pain.
Cross sectional comparative investigation designs with 135 subjects were selected by
convenient sampling method with the age group range from 23—35 years. Subjects were
chosen following inclusion and exclusion criteria. The correlation was found between back
pain induced functional disability and the hamstring tightness. Million visual analogy scales
was used to assess the back pain related functional disability and sit and reach was used to
measure the hamstrings tightness. The result shows there was a strong positive correlation
(0.913) found between the two variables.
Keywords: Low Back pain, Amateur Cricket Players, Sit and Reach, Hamstring Tightness &
MillionVAS.
Introduction:
Sports personnel’s are the most afflicted towards various musculoskeletal
disorders. One of the most common which is very common in both the sports as well as non
sports persons is Low back pain. Low back pain is the most common musculoskeletal
complains experienced by 60% to 85% of athletic population at least once in a life time.
(1,2). There are various mechanical factors which predisposes to low back pain.(3,4).The
predisposing factor includes muscle imbalances, inflexibility, structural differences of spine
and improper training. Alteration in the surrounding muscles or ligaments tends to cause
imbalances in the muscle group and decrease flexibility. (5,6) Sports which involve
hyperextension, flexion and rotation exhibits high amount of low back pain complains. (7,8).

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International Research Journal of Sports Glimpses Reg. No.: 902/2012-2013 Vol. No: II 2013

Frequent loading due to specific and unique motion on spine during preparation as well as
during play causes more stress to the spine. The nature of any sports people’s preparation
requires mechanical overload. This produces significant compressive forces at the lumbar
spine. Once the low back pain is established this indirectly contribute to increased severity of
pain. (9). Asymmetry in pelvis may affect the posture leads to development of various
musculoskeletal problems like low back pain. (10)
Amateur sports personnel’s does have proper training as well as play with less fitness
levels. This predisposes to various injuries and one of the common is low back pain. Back
injuries may result from poor technique and excessive training. The amount of training differs
to every individual (5). Repetitive mechanical loading and often specific and unique motion
imposed on the spines results in low back pain.
Methodology:
Cross sectional comparative investigation design with 135 subjects was selected
using convenient sampling method. The participants included are amateur cricket players
who plays cricket in the weekends in local ground, age group of 23—35 years, male
cricketers complains of low back pain in mechanical nature, patients without any serious
spinal disorders, infections to the spine, any fracture to the spine and who have serious
disorders like disc prolapsed or radiating pain were excluded. After selection all the players
were given with a clear explanation and consent was taken from all the participants. Study
duration was 6 weeks. The entire subjects with low back pain were examined by chief
orthopedician and were evaluated by two senior therapists. Following that their values were
calculated and computed using SPSS 16 and Karl Pearson’s correlation was used for
analyses.
Table No-I

S.NO Demographic 23-25 26-28 29-31 32-35 Mean S.D

1 Age Group 41 35 33 26 28.14 3.56

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International Research Journal of Sports Glimpses Reg. No.: 902/2012-2013 Vol. No: II 2013

Demographic Analysis
26
41

33
35

23--25 26--28 29--31 32--35

Figure No-I
Table No-II

S.No Correlation Mean Correlation analysis

1 Sit and Reach 20.17 0.9134

2 MVAS 103.21 ( p <0.001)

140
Correlation between Hamstring tightness and Low back pain and
120 Disability
100
MVAS in cms

80

60
Series1
40 Linear (Series1)

20

Figure No-II
Results:
The table I shows the demographic data of the study. The age group of the
participants was ranged from 23—35 years. 30% of subjects with the age group of 23—25
yrs, 26% of subjects with the age group of 26—28 yrs, 25% with the age group of 29—31 yrs
and 19% with the age group of 32—35 yrs. The mean age was 28.14 with the S.D of 3.56.
This was shown in the figure 1. Table II, shows the results of Karl Pearson’s correlation
coefficient test for the relation between the sit and reach and Million VAS. The result shows

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International Research Journal of Sports Glimpses Reg. No.: 902/2012-2013 Vol. No: II 2013

that there was a significant relation exhibit between the hamstring tightness and the low back
functional disability. This is shown in figure II.
Discussion:
Purpose of the study was to find out the relationship between Hamstring tightness
with low back pain related functional disability in amateur cricketers. 135 subjects were
selected and the back pain disability with the hamstring tightness was evaluated.
Hellsing, 1988 however, examined 600 young men and concluded that no association
existed between hamstrings tightness and LBP. (24). On the other side, Van Wingerden et
al., 1997 suggested that hamstrings tightness in patients with LBP is a compensatory
mechanism secondary to pelvic instability. (25).
Though there is various researchers’ support that the hamstring tightness is one of the
causes for low back pain but the reviews are found very less. The mechanism which the
hamstring tightness can cause back pain is by tight hamstrings make the pelvis to rotate
backwards when the pelvis rotated back which cause alteration in the lumbar spine, the
curvature in the spine gets reduced which cause more stress on the surrounding muscles and
the ligaments which produces pain in the back. (27,28)
Tight hamstrings could be the responsible for postural problems when there is
abnormal posture which tend to cause low back pain, sacroiliac pain as well as pelvic
problems. As found in this study there was a strong relation found between Hamstring
tightness and the low back pain related disability. (29). The amateur cricketers or part time
players play without proper warm ups as well as proper fitness levels which may tend to
cause the low back pain. Improper elasticity of the hamstring muscles may go for injury
easily due to sudden running action as well as twisting actions.
References:
• Trainor TJ, Wiesel SW. Epidemiology of back pain in the athlete. Clin Sports Med.
2002;21(1):93-103.
• Burton AK. How to prevent low back pain. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol.
2005;19(4):541-555.
• Waddell G, Somerville D, Henderson I, Newton M. Objective clinical evaluation of
physical impairment in chronic low back pain. Spine. 1992;17:617–628.
• d’Hemecourt PA, Gerbino PG 2nd, Micheli LJ. Back injuries in the young athlete.
Clin Sports Med 2000;19:663-79.

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