Musculoskeletal Complaints in the Elderly

Abstract

Musculoskeletal complaints should not be accepted merely as an inevitable result of the aging process and consequently neglected. Many musculoskeletal symptoms can be treated specifically, and others may provide valuable clues to underlying systemic disease. Differential diagnosis is complex because causative processes can involve purely psychogenic factors, systemic disease or trauma. Diagnosis must rest on the time-honored technics of history and physical examination.