Prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal pain in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review

Abstract

Objectives: This systematic review aimed to discuss the prevalence and the risk factors of the musculoskeletal pain in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data source and study selection: Four databases were analysed (Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE). We excluded systematic reviews, meta-analyses, conference abstracts and case reports. Two authors independently checked for the eligibility of the relevant articles. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Newcastle Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist. The selection and evaluation of studies followed the PRISMA guidelines. Results: Twenty studies were retrieved, including from 21 to 7952 patients with COPD. The prevalence of pain was highly heterogeneous across studies: 7–89.7%. Pain was mostly reported in the lumbar (7–69%) and cervical spine (11–48.3%) and the chest (44–82.8%). The main risk factors for developing pain were old age, sex (female), level of physical activity (low) and comorbidities. Conclusion: Pain is a very common symptom in patients with COPD. Despite this, few clinical trials have investigated the pain. It appears to be located primarily in the lumbar, cervical and thoracic regions and facilitated by being a female, a low level of physical activity, comorbidity(ies) and old age.