Pain reduction after a multidisciplinary education programme for elderly women with osteoporosis : a pilot study

Abstract

Background and aim: Pain and fear of future fractures are major problems for many women suffering from osteoporosis. We examined the changes after a multidisciplinary education programme on pain, physical- and social function. Design: a prospective one-group observational study with five days intervention and follow-up at three and twelve months post treatment. Material: Forty-nine women (mean age 74 years) recruited from GP to a hospital specialised in rheumatology, were enrolled in the study. Mean lumbal T-score was –2.9. The participants had at least one previous verified vertebrae fracture. Method: The outcome variables pain and physical- and social function were assessed by means of the SF-36- questionnaire at baseline and after three months and after twelve months after five days intervention. The analyses were performed by multivariate methods for longitudinal studies. Result: The mean score at baseline regarding social function, physical function and pain was 65, 45 and 35, respectively. The mean pain improvement score (95 percent confidence interval) at three months was 7.4 (2.7-12.2) and at twelve months 10.1 (4.6-15.5) compared with the baseline score. Conclusion: Elderly women experience significant reduction in pain after participating in a multidisciplinary education programme and the improvement lasts at least one year.

Keywords

• prospective observational study
• multidisciplinary education
• osteoporosis
• pain