The number of load-bearing joint pains is related to locomotive syndrome. the Miyagawa study

Abstract Background: Locomotive syndrome (LS) is defined as a condition in which a person's movement ability is impaired due to locomotive disorders. It is presumed that pains in the load-bearing joint are involved in the decline in mobility. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between LS and the number of load-bearing joint pains in Japanese cohort.Methods: We surveyed 507 participants in the 8th-11th evaluations of the Miyagawa study. LS was defined as ≥ 16 points on the GLFS-25 questionnaire. The site of the painful joint was interviewed. The ratio of complications of multiple load-bearing joint pain was investigated. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between LS and load-bearing joint pains.Results: The LS group (21.9%) had a 5.36 odds ratio [OR] for 2 pain sites and 8.96 OR for more than 3 pain sites, which was statistically significant compared to the no-LS group. 87.0% of participants with hip pain also had other load-bearing joint pain.Conclusions: People with hip pain tend to have other load-bearing joint pain. Since pain in 2 or more load-bearing joints is significantly associated with LS, early treatment of load-bearing joint pain and to suppress the number of load-bearing joint pain might be useful in preventing LS.