Perception of posture among bike riders and its association with pain

Abstract

Background: Bike riders are increasingly experiencing postural issues, which frequently result in musculoskeletal pain. Particularly for college students who ride frequently, factors like bad posture, bike type, weight, and riding time all contribute to injuries. This study was designed to examine how bad posture affects pain and discomfort in Pakistani university students who frequently ride bikes.

Material & Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 228 male university students aged 18-30, who ride bikes for at least four hours daily for two or more years. Data was collected using the plumb line method and standardized questionnaires, including the Nordic questionnaire for pain assessment, were used. IBM SPSS version 25 was used for statistical analysis.

Results: The study showed that 50.4% of participants complaint pain due to poor posture. The most affected areas were the shoulders (87.1%), upper back (62.9%), and lower back (53.4%). Students with poor posture, longer riding hours, and road bikes experienced more discomfort.

Conclusion: The study concluded that neck, trunk and arm positions and posture are highly associated with pain. The student with the neutral position of neck and slightly bent forward are highly associated with pain as compared to the students who has forward flexed posture of neck significantly. The students with upright and aligned posture of trunk are less prone to this condition as compared to the students who slightly bent forward and hunched forward significantly.