BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Among locomotor system diseases, pain is the most frequent symptom and, in addition to its high prevalence, it is important because it is present in diseases causing the highest negative impact on quality of life and productivity of affected individuals. This study aimed at investigating relevant topics on the influence of chronic osteoarticular pain on the functional capacity of the elderly.
CONTENTS:
A bibliographic study was carried out by querying major publications on the subject. Material was identified with the aid of electronic databases Medline, LILACS, Scielo and Pubmed. Keywords used were "chronic pain", "osteoarticular diseases" and "functional capacity".
CONCLUSION:
Further attention should be given to public policies implementing programs aiming especially at preventing and controlling chronic osteoarticular diseases, promoting functionality and better quality of life for this population.
Chronic pain; Functional capacity; Osteoarticular diseases