Multisite Musculoskeletal Pain in Adolescence May Predict Medical and Social Issues

Norwegian researchers report that teenagers with pain in multiple body sites have an elevated risk for life-affecting health problems during young adulthood. In this study, researchers followed 3,987 teens for an average of eight years and found a positive relationship between the number of pain sites the participants reported at age 15 or 16 and how much they utilized medical or social benefits during their early 20s. The authors conclude, “Adolescents with multisite musculoskeletal pain are at substantially increased risk of health and social difficulties into young adulthood. Identification and interventions for these adolescent problems could alleviate this risk and be a sound socioeconomic investment.”
—European Journal of Pain, July 2017