Relação da sarcopenia com a dor lombar em idosos: uma revisão sistemática

Abstract

Introduction: The loss of muscle function related to aging involves changes in the structure and function of skeletal muscle. This process is typically slow and functional loss varies significantly between individuals. Within this process, one can mention a clinical condition commonly found in the elderly: sarcopenia. Low back pain, in turn, is also one of the most common health problems, often reported by elderly people. Objective: To verify in the scientific literature if there are studies that relate the presence of sarcopenia with the clinical picture of low back pain in elderly people, and secondarily to identify the intensity of low back pain in sarcopenic elderly people. Methodology: This is a systematic review prepared according to the guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). An active search of articles was carried out in five databases, which were read and selected, according to the criteria, by two reviewers independently. In the search, we chose to analyze articles with the following criteria: studies with individuals over 60 years old, without gender restriction, who had complaints of low back pain and diagnosed with sarcopenia, and which were published until 2013. Results: We identified 230 studies, of which four were used for the analysis. All studies used scientifically validated instruments to quantify the level of low back pain and characterize the presence of sarcopenia in the participants. A possible relationship between sarcopenia and low back pain was observed, and the intensity was higher in sarcopenic elderly patients, with an average ranging from 3.3 to 6.5 on scales that quantitatively assess pain. Conclusion: Through this study, it was possible to visualize the possibility of a relationship between low back pain and sarcopenia in elderly people and that those with low back pain and sarcopenia had greater pain intensity.