The overall aim of the consensus statement was to inform clinical decisions and standards of care in order to reduce the long-term effects of low back pain (LBP) on rowers. The consensus statement was a collaboration of international rowing expert researchers and clinicians and was led by Dr. Fiona Wilson in Trinity College Dublin. Expert group members of the consensus statement represented Europe, North America and Australasia.
The consensus statement comprised of five research papers – 3 systematic reviews (investigating epidemiology, biomechanics and management of LBP), 1 survey (investigating clinicians opinions, experiences and recommendations regarding rowing-related LBP and management) and 1 qualitative study (investigating rowing athletes to examine their experiences of LBP); all of which have now been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The medical commission of the international rowing body ‘World Rowing’ oversaw and supported the process. The findings of the consensus statement were recently disseminated to the rowing community by World Rowing using the infographic detailed below. This infographic summarises the key findings of the consensus statement in a user friendly format for rowers, clinicians and coaches.
Frank Nugent is the course director of the BSc in Exercise and Health Fitness Management at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS), UL. Frank has a PhD in Exercise Physiology, is an accredited S&C coach through the Sport Ireland Institute and is the Lead Rowing Coach at the University of Limerick.
Contact: frank.nugent@ul.ie or follow him on ResearchGate, LinkedIn or on Twitter
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