Objectives: To investigate the severity and effect on quality of life (QOL) of various types of pain in healthy volunteers.Methods: A total of 384 subjects (male: 158, female: 226, average age: 63 years) were included in a prospective cohort study (Yakumo study). Shoulder pain, low back pain (LBP), sciatica, knee pain, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score were evaluated with SF-36.Results: The prevalence of shoulder pain, LBP, sciatica, and knee pain was 42%, 44%, 16%, and 48%, respectively, with similar severities of pain. Shoulder pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and ASES shoulder scores were significantly correlated with SF-36 domains. Subjects with poor physical QOL had significantly higher VAS scores for all pain types and a lower ASES shoulder score. Shoulder pain VAS was also significantly related to poor mental QOL. Multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age and gender showed that shoulder pain VAS (OR: 1.25, p < .05) and 10-m gait speed (OR: 1.82, p < .05) were significant independent risk factors for poor physical QOL.Conclusion: Only shoulder pain of similar severity to other pain and shoulder complaints impacted on both physical and mental QOL. The severity of shoulder pain was an independent risk factor for poor physical QOL.
Keywords: Shoulder pain; middle-aged and elderly people; musculoskeletal pain; quality of life; shoulder complaint.