Description
Musculoskeletal conditions can be extremely painful and debilitating. Their incidence and resulting impact on health and well-being increase with age. Common symptoms include pain, stiffness and a loss of mobility and dexterity. Long-term Musculoskeletal conditions are associated with pain, disability, poor general health and mortality. They also impact on mental health
In 2015, a study on the Global Burden of Disease and the worldwide impact of all diseases and risk factors included back and neck pain, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders in the leading ten causes of adult global age-specific years lived with disability. When discussing disease-specific issues the report stated that “Musculoskeletal disorders continue to be a leading cause of disability worldwide”. It advised that “a key component of healthy ageing is to maintain mobility, and a key public health intervention recommended for improving health outcomes for all chronic diseases is physical activity”.
