What is the prevalence of musculoskeletal problems in the elderly population in developed countries? A systematic critical literature review

Abstract

BackgroundThe proportion of older people will be tripled by the year 2050. In addition, the incidence of chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions will also increase among the elderly people. Thus, in order to prepare for future health care demands, the magnitude and impact of MSK conditions from this growing population is needed. The objective of this literature review is to determine the current prevalence of MSK disorders in the elderly population.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in Pubmed on articles in English, published between January 2000 and July 2011. Studies from developed countries with prevalence estimates on elderly people (60+) on the following MSK conditions were included: Non-specific extremity pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and back pain. The included articles were extracted for information and assessed for risk of bias.ResultsA total of 85 articles were included with 173 different prevalence estimates. Musculoskeletal disorders are common in the elderly population, but due to heterogeneity of the studies, no general estimate on the prevalence of MSK can be determined. Women report more often MSK pain than men. Overall, prevalence estimates either remain fairly constant or increase slightly with increasing age, but with a tendency to decrease in the oldest (80+) people.ConclusionsMusculoskeletal disorders remain prevalent in the elderly population. Given the increasing proportion of elderly population in the world population and the burden of MSK diseases among the elderly people, efforts must be made to maintain their functional capacity for as long as possible through optimal primary and secondary health care.

Prevalence and factors associated with low back pain in elderly registered in the Family Health Strategy

“…Silva, Fassa and Valle (3) note that the studied population was exposed to vibration and/or trepidation and activities involving the transport and lifting of weight. In this study, the prevalence of low back pain was similar to the related in a city in the southwest of Bahia (6) and in the South region of Brazil (15), higher than the one verified in the USA (4), Goiânia (7) and in the city of São Paulo (8) and, lower than the one found in Maryland, USA (19) and in Santa Catarina (20).…”

“…Specific studies about the subject "pain" usually find a higher prevalence than on surveys about health in which pain is only a variable of analysis. For the full comprehension of these variables, other studies are necessary (19,21).…”

Socioeconomic status and its association with the risk of developing hip fractures: A region-wide ecological study

“…Direct and indirect costs of patients suffering hip fracture double those without [4], remaining a significant challenge for health care systems today and a major public health problem [5]. Efforts are being made in order to correctly identify the population at risk throughout the detection of individual risk factors, such as smoking [6], alcohol consumption [7] or low body mass index (BMI) [8]; however, these can only partly explain the great burden of these fractures.…”

Compensation claims for chiropractic in Denmark and Norway 2004¿2012

“…The United Nations predict that the proportion of people aged 60 years and over will triple over the next 40 years and will account for more than 20% of the world's population by year 2050 [40]. Manifestations of musculoskeletal disorders increase with age [41] making interventions with documented effect and a favourable risk profile desirable [42]. In one recent study investigating the effectiveness of SMT and exercise interventions among seniors (aged 65 and above) with chronic neck pain [43] information on AE was systematically collected [44].…”