Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain in ambulatory individuals with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Background: Such myriad consequences of musculoskeletal pain were common and distorted the level of functioning after spinal cord injury (SCI). No known data identifies pain-related factors in ambulatory individuals with SCI. Objective: To examine the risk factors for musculoskeletal pain in ambulatory patients with SCI. Materials and methods: A total of 138 ambulatory participants with SCI were interviewed and evaluated for their demographics, SCI traits, levels of locomotor disability (Functional Independence Measure-Locomotor), and data on musculoskeletal pain, including area, cause, and severity of pain using a body chart diagram and Visual Analogue Scale. Then, logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors associated with musculoskeletal pain. Results: Precisely, 55.07% of the 138 ambulatory individuals with SCI reported musculoskeletal pain. The common top three areas of pain include the lower back (27%), hip (23%) and shoulder (15%). Factors associated with musculoskeletal pain include being a man and FIM-L 6 in which males had OR=3.56 (95% CI, 1.62-7.84; p=0.002) and FIM-L 6 had OR=2.57 (95% CI, 1.08-6.10; p=0.032). Conclusion: The present findings revealed that musculoskeletal pain is highly prevalent in ambulatory individuals with SCI. Ambulatory individuals with SCI who are males and able to walk at least 50 meters while using gait devices are most concerned about musculoskeletal pain problems.