Severe low back or lower limb pain is associated with recurrent falls among older Australians

Abstract

Background: Few studies have explored the impact of low back or lower limb pain severity on recurrent (≥2) falls in older adults. Objectives: Investigate the association between the severity of low back or lower limb pain, and ≥2 falls or falls-related injuries. Methods: Community-dwelling Australian males and females in the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), aged ≥70 years. Self-reported, cross-sectional questionnaire data regarding number of falls and falls-related injuries in the last 12 months; and sites and severity of pain experienced on most days. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated from multivariable Poisson regression models, for males and females separately. Results: Of 14,892 ALSOP participants, 13% (n = 1983) reported ≥2 falls ('recurrent fallers') in the last 12 months. Males and females who reported severe low back, or severe lower limb pain on most days were more likely to report ≥2 falls in the last 12 months compared to those with mild pain (lower back: males RR = 1.70 and females RR = 1.5, p = 0.001; lower limb: males RR = 2.0, p < 0.001 and females RR = 1.4, p = 0.003). Female recurrent fallers who reported severe

Chronic pain in older adults with disabilities is associated with fall-related injuries: a prospective cohort study

“…A high hazard ratio was also observed between moderate-to-severe chronic pain and fall-related injuries with chronic pain. Recent studies examining the association between pain and falls have found that severe low back or lower limb pain is associated with fall-related injuries in women [43], a nding supported by the present study. Although the underlying mechanisms of the association between chronic pain severity and fall-related injuries are unknown due to the paucity of studies, the results of this study indicate that reducing chronic pain severity is important in preventing fall-related injuries.…”

Pain, Balance-Confidence, Functional Mobility, and Reach Are Associated With Risk of Recurrent Falls Among Adults With Lower-Limb Amputation

“… 11 Similarly, older men and women reporting severe lower-limb pain on most days were 100% and 40% more likely to report recurrent falls in the past year, respectively, as compared with peers with mild pain; older men and women reporting severe LBP on most days, were 70% and 50% more likely to report recurrent falls, respectively. 40 …”

Multisite Pain and Intensity were Associated with History Fall among Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…12 Several studies have examined chronic pain and multisite pain as a risk for falls in older adults living in the community. 5,[9][10][11]13,14 A recent study on community-dwelling older adults aged ≥70 years found that lower back or lower limb pain was associated with an increased risk of frequent falls and fall-related injuries. 14 The context of related injuries involves not only the site of pain in the body but also the severity of pain.…”

“…5,[9][10][11]13,14 A recent study on community-dwelling older adults aged ≥70 years found that lower back or lower limb pain was associated with an increased risk of frequent falls and fall-related injuries. 14 The context of related injuries involves not only the site of pain in the body but also the severity of pain. A population-based cohort study examined the relationship between severity of chronic pain and risk for injurious falls in older adults aged ≥70 years.…”

“…The limitation of the current available evidence in investigating the association between fall occurrence and pain is that the comparison of different pain severity in different body sites within one study remains limited. 14 Another limitation is the definition of multisite pain, as previous studies have been limited to two or more sites. However, this might reflect the bilateral involvement of sites, such as bilateral knee pain, which might not be related to multisite and widespread pain.…”