Pain characteristics and balance confidence in relation to fall risk in older adults with musculoskeletal pain

Objective: To determine the falls risk with ABC scale in older adults and to identify the pain characteristics and balance reliance in geriatric population related to descends. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted by using ABC scale, Nordic Pain Questionnaire and VAS scale to investigate the pain characteristics and balance confidence in older adults related to fall risk. A sample size of 71 was included in the study. Results: Out of 71 participants, there were 31(43.7%) males and 40 (56.3) females. According to pain sites, 24 (34%) subjects had pain in all sites such as lumber, hip knee, foot had moderate fall risk as compared to remaining subjects that had single site pain such as hip pain (14%) knee pain (14%) foot pain (13%) lumber pain (11%) pain in more than one site (14%). Forty seven (66.2%) participants with moderate pain had medium fall risk on Berg balance scale. Thirty seven (52.1%) participants with low balance confidence had medium fall risk. Forty four (62.0%) participants in age 60-70 years had medium fall risk (P=.016), multiple pain site, moderate pain severity (P=.001) and lower balance confidence (P=.002) were associated with medium fall risk . Conclusion: Greater proportions of subjects with moderate pain, multiple site pain and lower balance confidence were associated with medium fall risk as compared to low pain, single site pain and moderate and high balance confidence. Subjects with severe pain had high risk of fall.