Musculoskeletal pain, multimorbidity and associated factors in individuals followed at a physiotherapy service: cross-sectional observational study

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Musculoskeletal pain is among the most disabling conditions, aggravating multimorbidity scenarios. Difficulties in the treatment of pain and multimorbidity highlight the importance of the study of these populations. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of musculoskeletal pain and multimorbidity, the main complaints in patients admitted to physiotherapy services. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional observational study. Patients 50 years or older were evaluated using the Brief Pain Inventory, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire for general pain, sociodemographic and clinical data form, and timed-up-and-go test. Descriptive analyses were performed through the distribution of absolute numbers and proportions for categorical variables. RESULTS:The sample consisted of 62 patients with 2 or more painful regions, 88.7% women with a median age of 67 years [IQR 62-72], 81% with body mass index above normal, 71% hypertensive and 97% with multimorbidity. The median of painful regions was 7 [IQR 4-8], the most prevalent being low back and knees (87%); 66% of patients describe severe pain, and median pain duration of 7.5 years . The high number of painful regions had greater interference (p<0.05) in the lives of individuals and was associated with females (p=0.04) and the occurrence of a fall in the last year (p<0.003).