Current nontraumatic pain and pain-reporting behaviour in male high school volleyball players

Current nontraumatic pain during volleyball practice may affect performance and symptom management in adolescent athletes, yet little is known about its reporting within teams. This study investigated current nontraumatic pain and pain-reporting behaviour among male high school volleyball players. An anonymous cross-sectional paper questionnaire was administered to two male high school volleyball teams competing at the prefectural tournament level. Sixty-three players completed the questionnaire, which assessed current nontraumatic pain lasting at least 1 week, pain characteristics, perceived performance decline, and disclosure to the coach and on-site medical support staff. Free-text reasons for non-disclosure to the coach and disclosure to medical support staff were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Of 63 players, 36 (57.1%) reported pain, of whom 25 (69.4%) perceived a pain-related decline in performance. The knee was the most frequently reported pain location, followed by the low back and shoulder. Spiking was the action most frequently associated with the greatest pain, and pain was generally greatest during practice. Among players with pain, 16 (44.4%) disclosed pain to the coach and 27 (75.0%) to medical support staff; the paired difference was 30.6 percentage points (95% CI, 18.0–46.9 percentage points; exact two-sided McNemar p = 0.001). Qualitative findings indicated that non-disclosure reflected symptom minimisation, expected recovery, and participation concerns, whereas disclosure reflected expectations of practical and psychological support and access to consultation. These findings suggest that pain disclosure depends partly on the perceived consequences and usefulness of reporting to different members of the support environment.