Prevalence and Nature of Joint Pain among Arthritis Clients attending The Orthopaedic Opd at Bapuji Hospitals, Davanagere

Background: Arthritis is a common disease of aged population and one of the leading causes of disability. Incidence of arthritis is rising by increasing average age of general population. Age, weight, trauma to joint due to repeating movements in particular squatting and kneeling are common risk factors of arthritis. Objectives: 1. To assess the prevalence of joint pain among arthritis patients. 2. To describe the nature of pain among arthritis patients. 3. To determine the association of severity of joint pain in arthritis patients with selected demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive design was adopted for the study. Samples were selected using non probability convenient sampling technique. Sample consists of 50 arthritis patients, out of which 41 are females and 9 were males attending outpatient department at Bapuji Hospital, Davangere. Data from the study participants was collected by structured questionnaires on prevalence and nature of joint pain. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study findings revealed that the 82.0% of the study participants were females among them 68% were housewives. Around 68% of patients belong to age group of 50-70 years. The mean age and weight of study subject is 62.46 years and 74.04 kg respectively. It was found that the prevalence of joint pain in arthritis patients increased with increase in body mass index (BMI). Prevalence was found to be highest in people who are overweight and/ or obese. The pain was Prevalent in all the arthritis patients and it predominantly found in knee joint bilaterally. Analysis of level of pain reveals that 38% of the subjects had moderate pain with moderate trouble, 48% had severe pain with extreme difficulty and 14% had severe pain and impossible movements. About 56% of patients are having sever difficulty in movement of joint after prolonged rest period and .74% of patients have pain and stiffness after bed time, 62% of patients feels sever pain while walking and 20% of the them having impossible joint movements. Conclusion: From the study it is concluded that the samples suffer from moderate pain with moderate trouble. The ageing, female gender, over weight are some associated factors for joint pain. The study participant recommended on regular exercise, weight reduction and timely treatment to reduce the consequences of arthritis.