Adolescent elite cross-country skiers show increased thoracic kyphosis over time, which contributes to their high incidence of low back pain and might put them at risk for hyperkyphosis.
Noting numerous reports in the literature of a high rate of low back pain in young skiers, Dr. Marie Alricsson of Mid Sweden University, Östersund, and Dr. S. Werner of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, hypothesized that the flexed position of the spine in classical cross-country skiing might eventually cause increased thoracic curvature in growing adolescents. They assessed possible changes in the spinal curvature of 15 adolescent members of an elite cross-country ski team before and after 5 years of intensive skiing.
The seven boys and eight girls had a mean age of 13.6 years at the start of the study. At 5-year follow-up, “the relationship between thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis increased from 3.5 degrees to 13.1 degrees,” the investigators reported (Phys. Ther. Sport 2006 June 26 [Epub doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2006.06.003]).
“This means that growing individuals [who] participate in cross-country skiing might develop a hyperkyphosis over time,” they added.
Seven subjects reported low back pain. They “showed a significantly higher relationship between thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis than did those skiers without low back pain, 18.2 degrees and 10.5 degrees, respectively,” the researchers said.
Seven of the eight subjects who did not report low back pain at follow-up had participated in other sports at least once per week for the preceding 3 years. “It is likely that participating in other sports might at least to some extent prevent or reduce development of low back pain in cross-country skiers. … [It] might promote a more all-round type of body exercise, which could 'balance' the sport-specific training” of elite cross-country skiing, the researchers said.
They advised that adolescent cross-country skiers regularly participate in other physical activities or sports concurrently with their skiing.