OVEREXERTIONAL LUMBAR AND THORACIC BACK PAIN AMONG RECRUITS - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF RISK-FACTORS AND TREATMENT REGIMENS

A total of 395 male infantry recruits were evaluated in a prospective study of possible risk factors for overexertional back pain and the ef ficacy of drug treatment regimens for this syndrome. Recruits were cla ssified into subgroups of lumbar or thoracic, and paraspinal or spinou s process pain. Recruits were divided into three treatment groups: Ibu profen, Paracetamol, and no drug treatment. Of the recruits, 18% were diagnosed as having overexertional back pain during the course of 14 w eeks of training. By multivariate analysis low body mass index was fou nd to be a risk factor for overexertional lumbar pain (p = 0.005) and increased lumbar lordosis a risk factor for overexertional thoracic pa in (p = 0.005). Of recruits with overexertional back pain, 65% were as ymptomatic by the end of basic training. There was no statistically si gnificant difference between cure rates according to treatment groups.