Pain and quality of life in athletes vs non-athletes with spinal cord injury: Observational study

Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) can lead to chronic pain and reduced quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to understand how adapted sports relate to pain and QoL for people with SCI, especially in areas with limited resources. The study compared athletes with SCI to non-athletes, looking at pain levels and how much pain interfered with their daily lives. They also assessed overall quality of life. The results showed that athletes with SCI generally had better QoL and experienced less pain interference in certain areas of life compared to non-athletes.

• 1
  Athletes with SCI showed superior QoL in physical, psychological, social relationships, self-evaluation domains, and overall scores when adjusted for age.
• 2
  Athletes experienced less pain interference in relationships, enjoyment of life, and total pain interference, despite having no significant differences in pain intensity scores.
• 3
  Participation in competitive adapted sports was significantly associated with higher QoL scores, indicating that sports may promote QoL in people with SCI.