“Dem” Back and Neck and Hand and Knee and Hip Bones: Pain and Aging
2013; Elsevier BV; Volume: 35; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/j.clinthera.2013.09.021
ISSN1879-114X
Autores Tópico(s)Musculoskeletal Disorders and Rehabilitation
Resumo“Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones”—so goes that wonderful tune about all those bones and their connectedness, written by African-American composer James Weldon Johnson (JWJ)1Dem bones. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dem_Bones. Accessed September 25, 2013.Google Scholar and his lyricist brother, J. Rosamund Johnson. I have been unable to pin down exactly when this song was written, but one source says it was in the early 1900s.2Dry Bones by The Delta Rhythm Boys. SongFacts. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=20049. Accessed September 24, 2013.Google Scholar I was curious about how old JWJ was when he penned the tune. I had always imagined (I won’t say I hypothesized) that JWJ was an old man who himself was burdened by painful bones from hard work, osteoarthritis, and perhaps even osteoporosis. However, I was quite wrong—JWJ was probably in his mid-30s: He was born in 1871 and died in 1938. Most people have had joint pain at one time or another. It is believed that in the United States, we spend an estimated >$50 billion/y on low back pain and that it is the most common reason for job-related disability and a major factor in absenteeism and lost productivity.3Low Back Pain Fact Sheet. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm. Accessed September 24, 2013.Google Scholar Although headache is the most common pain complaint, as our population ages, more and more clinicians are treating knees, hips, and hands, especially for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Americans spend huge amounts on over-the-counter pain relievers (eg, acetaminophen, aspirin) and on complementary or alternative products (eg, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate). Biologics for arthritis of the hand are becoming more varied and accepted. Knee and hip replacements are becoming ever more common, and new surgical procedures for back pain are widely accepted. In this issue of Clinical Therapeutics, our Topic Editor for Geriatric Medicine, Dr. Kenneth Boockvar, has assembled a group of articles that examine the aspects of pain in the elderly population and its treatment. As always, we invite your comments and welcome your submissions about therapeutic interventions for the elderly population.
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