Musculoskeletal complaints in a health unit: implications for health planning and physical therapy

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence musculoskeletal complaints in adults in a Health Center. METHODS: There were evaluated users seen in spontaneous reception in the period of 2010 March to 2011 May. Altogether there were studied 1.023 individuals. The characterization of the complaints was conducted through a questionnaire with socio demographic data and the reason for the demand for care. RESULTS: Data from this study showed that most users were women (71.2%), aged 31 to 60 years (50.0%), single (31.6%), retired (14.2%) and had complaints in various systems (77.1%). The musculoskeletal system was the most affected (14.4%), representing the second reason for seeking treatment (31.0%). Analyzing the odds ratios of occurrence of musculoskeletal complaints in relation to the variables studied, we found that people aged 40 to 59 years were 3.49 (95%CI 2.17-5.57) times more likely to occur in association with these pains than older and younger persons. There was no association between other systems and the variables studied. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints requires a new look from health managers to meet these demands, thinking about the possibility of including the physiotherapist in primary health care unit to treat less complex pains.