Does multifidus muscle fatigue asymmetry exist in athletes with chronic low back pain?

Aim Chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients tend to have decreased back extensor muscle endurance resulting in lumbar muscle fatigability. Lumbar muscle fatigability investigations done on the general population have shown conflicting results; therefore, this study aimed to explore if there exists a fatigue asymmetry between the left and right sides and between the pain score classifications in university athletes with CLBP. Methods Twenty male athletes (Age: 22.95 ± 2.37 years) having CLBP were recruited. The athletes performed the Sorensen test and surface electromyography (sEMG) of bilateral multifidus was recorded simultaneously. The slope of linear regression of median frequency, and the median frequency of the initial and last 5 s were used to depict fatigability. The absolute differences between the right and left sides were used to compute asymmetry. Results The results demonstrated no asymmetry between the sides ( p > 0.05), except for the initial 5 s median frequency ( p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the left and right sides when grouped according to the pain scores. Conclusions Athletes with CLBP demonstrate an absence of asymmetry in the fatigue characteristics of the multifidus, except for the initial 5 s median frequency. Practitioners assessing and treating CLBP in athletes can use this information while assessing and tailoring interventions for athletes.