The Association Between Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Traditional Chinese Medicine Use Among Chinese Older Adults in the Greater Chicago Area.

Abstract

Older adults disproportionately experience musculoskeletal symptoms, which are associated with morbidity and mortality. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important part of Chinese culture and for millennia have been used to maintain health. This article aims to examine the association between musculoskeletal symptoms and different subtypes of TCM usage. Data were collected through the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE) study, a community-engaged, epidemiological study of a U.S. Chinese population. Review of systems was used to measure musculoskeletal symptoms. TCM use was measured by using a 5-point scale. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to control for potential confounding factors. Of 3,157 Chinese, older adults aged 60 and older, the mean age was 72.8 (SD = 8.3) and 58.9% were female. Older adults with any musculoskeletal symptoms had greater utilization of overall TCM use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.76, 2.52]), especially massage therapy (OR = 3.41, 95% CI = [2.51, 4.63]), herbal (OR = 2.68, 95% CI = [2.28, 3.14]), and acupuncture (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = [1.87, 3.32]). However, there was no statistically significant association between the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms and Tai-Chi (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = [0.93, 1.50]). This study demonstrated that musculoskeletal symptoms among Chinese older adults were strongly associated with the use of TCM. Future research is needed to examine the effectiveness of TCM in treating musculoskeletal symptoms.