Assistive technologies for elderly – review on recent developments in lower limb and back pain management

Abstract

Population aging is inevitable in India that results in an overall increase in the ageing society. The number of elderly in India is projected to reach 173 million in 2026. It is projected that the proportion of Indians aged 60 and older will rise from 8.6% in 2011 to 11.1% in 2025. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common problems in the elderly population. Ageing also leads to numerous problems like disabilities in the lower limb, back pain, arthritis, stroke, brain injury, muscular dystrophy, and so on. Muscular dystrophy is the main reason for old age disability caused by more than 30 muscle disorders where loss of muscular strength, and fat redistribution decreasing the ability of the tissues to carry out their normal functions. Many treatments methods have been deployed to help them in which rehabilitation plays a significant role. In spite of the benefits derived from the use of assistive technologies, some parts of the world have insignificant or no access to these technologies. This study purpose is to briefly review recent progress in assistive technologies, more specifically on recent development in lower limbs and back pain management. Multiple databases were searched for English literature and limiting to last ten years. The keywords selected for the search were a combination of the elderly, exoskeleton, lower limb, back pain, arthritis, and assistive technologies. The search results suggested that assistive technologies for the elderly population have received some attention from researchers also indicate the need for a comprehensive and low-cost approach to increase the availability of assistive technologies for the elderly community.