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Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on July 13, 2004
Rheumatology 2004 43(10):1256-1260; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keh298
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Rheumatology Vol. 43 No. 10 © British Society for Rheumatology 2004; all rights reserved

Paper

A longitudinal study of joint pain in older people

I.P. Donald1 and C. Foy2

1 Elderly Care Unit and 2 Research and Development Support Unit, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust, Gloucester, UK.

Correspondence to: I. P. Donald, Elderly Care, Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust, Great Western Road, Gloucester GL1 3NN, UK. E-mail: ecare{at}blueyonder.co.uk

Background. Joint pain is extremely common in older people, but its natural history has been little described in the UK literature.

Methods. A UK general practice population was followed for 1 yr in 1998. There were 4804 subjects aged 75 yr and over who accepted the offer of health screening. Assessments by postal questionnaire using the Elderly At Risk Rating Scale, which includes one question specifically covering joint pain.

Results. Some degree of joint pain was reported by 83%. This was related to age and female gender. The presence of pain was strongly related to mobility, energy and sadness. Over 1 yr, 18% acquired or had increased frequency of pain, while 14% had reduced frequency of pain. Resolution was associated with preserved indoor mobility, and functional recovery. There was little relationship between joint pain and adverse outcomes.

Conclusions. Joint pain is very common in older people, fluctuates in frequency over time, and is strongly linked to psychological factors as well as disability. A positive approach to active management of joint pain is justified, and will be rewarded by improved quality of life for older people.

KEY WORDS: Joint pain, Prevalence, Older people, Natural history


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