Social and demographic factors in post-stroke patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain

Abstract

Introduction. Post-stroke patients often suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain, which can significantly impact their quality of life. Understanding the social and demographic factors that influence chronic musculoskeletal pain in these patients can help enhance effective interventions. This study aimed to investigate the demographic factors associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain in post-stroke patients. Methods. This retrospective study was conducted on 270 poststroke patients. Demographic factors analyzed were age decade, age category, gender, residency, and VAS pain score. The VAS pain score was used to measure pain intensity. Results. Out of 270 patients, 56 reported chronic musculoskeletal pain. The most prevalent age group was patients between 60-69 years (42.9%). Patients over the age of 65 reported chronic musculoskeletal pain more frequently than those between the ages of 40-65. Male patients reported having pain more frequently than female patients (67.9% vs. 32.1%). Rural inhabitants had a higher prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain (53.6%) compared to urban inhabitants. Men reported higher pain intensity than women, with a mean VAS score of 5.05 and 4.06, respectively. Conclusion. Older age, male gender, rural residency, and higher pain intensity were associated with a higher prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Healthcare professionals should develop tailored interventions for post-stroke patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, further research is needed to investigate the social factors associated with chronic musculoskeletal pain in this patient population.