Low Back Pain and Neck Pain in Paragliding Pilots

BACKGROUND Paragliding is a popular aerial sport requiring pilots to maintain specific postures and engage in repetitive movements, potentially leading to musculoskeletal issues such as low back pain (LBP) and neck Pain (NP). This study aims to identify the incidence of low back pain and neck pain among paragliding pilots. Additionally, potential risk factors that contribute to these conditions within this population should be identified. METHODS An online questionnaire was developed and distributed to a sample of paragliding pilots. The grade of impairment due to LBP was evaluated by the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Index (ODI). Similarly, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used for NP. Additional questions were focused on potential risk factors RESULTS Ninety paragliding pilots participated in the online questionnaire. The average age was 39.36 years, with a mean BMI of 24.85 (SD 4.69). Forty-five participants were Nepali citizens, and the other 45 were foreign nationals. The prevalence of LBP was 68.9 %, and that of NP was 71.10%. NP had a strong statistical association with the type of helmet (P-value <0.005). All the pilots with age less than 30 had NP; similarly, all the female pilots had LBP and NP, and all pilots with a BMI of over 30 had LBP. The mean ODI score was 12.22 (SD 15.78), and the mean NDI score was 9.84 (SD 14.21). CONCLUSION Female gender, age less than 30 and type of helmet positively correlate with NP, while BMI and female gender positively correlate with LBP. KEYWORDS Low back pain; Neck pain; Paragliding Pilots