The influence of riding style on back pain: an investigation
Item
- Title
- The influence of riding style on back pain: an investigation
- Author(s)
- MacDonald Nancy
- Abstract
-
Man spends a lot of time in a seated posture, whether in the car, at home or at work. It is this seated posture that is seen as one of the main aetiological factors in the development of back pain which is becoming a worldwide pandemic. Horse riders are examples of atypical seated postures, they are unsupported and do not have their thighs at 90 degrees to their trunk (the conceptual correct sitting posture). Neither are they static. The horses' motion means that to remain in balance a rider is constantly mobile.Two populations of horse riders (dressage and show jumping) have low injury rates due to the controlled nature of their sport, yet they still experience back pain. Very little research has been done in to the subject and what has been undertaken is broad and unspecific. A loss of lumber lordosis is associated with lumber spine pain due to increasing the static loading of the intervertibral disc and soft tissue structure deformation. To maintain this lordosis an angle of 135 degrees between hip and trunk is thought to be required. Movement of the upper limb in a repetitive manner causes differing amounts of tension through the cervical and shoulder musculature depending on the seated position of the rider.
Two hypotheses are therefore proposed:
There is a difference in the reported incidence of back pain between dressage riders and show jumpers.
There is a difference in the reported location of back pain between dressage riders and show jumpers.
100 riders (50 show jumpers and 50 dressage riders) were selected at random by competitor number at 6 (3 show jumping and 3 dressage) events in Berkshire, Surrey and Hampshire. The subjects were questioned orally. The number of completed surveys was 100.
The results showed that there was no significant difference in the incidences of back pain between dressage riders and show jumpers. There was however a difference in the location of back pain between dressage riders and show jumpers. Dressage riders predominantly suffered from lower back pain and show jumpers predominantly suffered from upper back and neck pain.
The discussion focused on the interpretation of the results and any other relevant patterns and correlations. It delved in to any criticisms of the data and the investigations, and any further investigations that would be useful to do in the future.
In conclusion the investigation suggested there is a variation in the aetiology of back pain in the two groups by the different locations of the back pain. Impact of different riding disciplines must be further researched; better posture adopted by riders and a better understanding of the biomechanics of riding by the osteopath is needed. - presented at
- British College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Date Accepted
- 0
- Date Submitted
- 1.1.1970 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 13681
- Inst-Identifier
- 1076
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
MacDonald Nancy, “The influence of riding style on back pain: an investigation”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 5, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.org/s/orw/item/1076