151 Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in the Welsh adult cystic fibrosis population

Abstract

Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) symptoms are associated with significantly worse outcome measures in CF. MSK pain is not well predicted from FEV 1 measurement in previous studies. The prevalence and nature of MSK pain is not widely documented in adult CF populations. Aim To identify the prevalence of adult CF patients experiencing MSK pain and provide an analysis of the causes of pain. Method Data was collected using the Manchester Musculoskeletal Screening Tool (MMST) at annual review Results 220 (123 males) patients [age range 16–73 years] completed the MMST. 79 (36%) were experiencing MSK pain. 53 of these 79 (67%) patients requested further assessment and 26 declined any further input. 11 (5%) patients reported joint pain associated with exacerbation (suggestive of Cystic Fibrosis arthropathy [CFA]). Of the patients who reported spinal pain (n = 46); 6 had neck pain, 9 thoracic pain and 31 low back pain. Of the 46 patients reporting spinal pain 10 (22%) had concerns about their posture. 21 patients reported peripheral joint pain associated with a functional injury. Conclusion Early identification and treatment of MSK problems have been demonstrated to improve long term outcomes. Over a third of our patients reported experiencing MSK pain and the majority of these were keen for further assessment of their MSK pain with a subsequent implication on service delivery. Rates of reported CFA in our cohort are similar to previous studies (Botton 2003). Over half of the reports of MSK pain related to spinal pain with a significant postural component. MSK problems often affect patients' quality of life and their ability to exercise and perform airways clearance.