title: Musculoskeletal pain in Japan: prospective health diary study.
abstract: The objective of this study was to understand musculoskeletal pain events and the use of health care services, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Japan. We conducted a prospective cohort study for a 1-month period using a health diary in a random sample of adults. Of the 2,226 adults, 1,065 (48%) reported new musculoskeletal pain events. The mean number of events was 3.6 in 1 month. Back, neck and knee pain were among the most frequent. The episodes of various musculoskeletal pain events was different by gender, age, city size of living, income, job status, education, body mass index, and baseline quality of life. The individuals with musculoskeletal pain were more likely to use CAM than to visit physicians. Musculoskeletal pain is very common and the individuals with musculoskeletal pain are more likely to use CAM than to visit physicians in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Practice Evaluation and Research Center, St. Luke's Life Science Institute, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-city, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan. tokuyasu@orange.ocn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohde
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shakudo
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanai
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimbo
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hinohara
authors.forename: Tsuguya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014505:Urban Population