@article{ref1,
title="Severe low back or lower limb pain is associated with recurrent falls amongst older Australians",
journal="European journal of pain",
year="2022",
author="Tse, Amy and Ward, Stephanie and McNeil, John and Barker, Anna and Cicuttini, Flavia and Fitzgibbon, Bernadette and Hussain, Sultana Monira and Owen, Alice and Wang, Yuan Yuan and Wolfe, Rory and Gilmartin-Thomas, Julia Fiona-Maree",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Few studies have explored the impact of low back or lower limb pain severity on recurrent (≥2) falls in older adults. <br><br>OBJECTIVES: Investigate the association between the severity of low back or lower limb pain, and ≥2 falls or falls-related injuries. <br><br>METHODS: Community-dwelling Australian males and females in the ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP), aged ≥70 years. Self-reported, cross-sectional questionnaire data regarding number of falls and falls-related injuries in the last 12 months; and sites and severity of pain experienced on most days. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated from multivariable Poisson regression models, for males and females separately. <br><br>RESULTS: Of 14,892 ALSOP participants, 13% (n=1,983) reported ≥2 falls ('recurrent fallers') in the last 12 months. Males and females who reported severe low back, or severe lower limb pain on most days were more likely to report ≥2 falls in the last 12 months compared to those with mild pain (lower back: males RR=1.70 and females RR=1.5, p=0.001; lower limb: males RR=2.0, p<0.001 and females RR=1.4, p=0.003). Female recurrent fallers who reported severe low back (RR=1.3, p=0.029) or lower limb (RR=1.24, p=0.024) pain on most days were more likely to report a falls-related injury in the last 12 months compared to females with mild pain. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Severe low back or lower limb pain was associated with an increased likelihood of recurrent falls (males/females) or falls-related injuries (females only). Assessment of severe low back and lower limb pain should be considered as a priority when undertaking falls-risk evaluation.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1090-3801",
doi="10.1002/ejp.2013",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ejp.2013"
}