Abstract
An epidemiological study of low back and leg pain was conducted on 623 elderly persons in Sagae City, Yamagata Prefecture. There were 261 men and 362 women and the age was 65 to 93 years old. Disability in activities of daily living according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association score was investigated. Low back pain and leg pain was reported in 58.6% of respondents. 12.2% of study respondents reported difficulty in turning over while in bed; 34.2% reported difficulty in standing up; 33% reported difficulty moving from a half-sitting posture to standing upright. 1% of the s#tudy participants reported difficulty in washing their face. Sitting was difficult for 13.4% of our study group, and 48% reported difficulty in lifting heavy weights. 33.9% of the elderly experienced difficulty in walking. It is necessary to prevent disability due to low back pain and leg pain in the elderly.
