Abstract

Seasonal variations in the admission rates of geriatric patients with musculoskeletal problems to physical therapy and rehabilitation clinics were examined in this study. Totally 2257 patients (1802, 79.84% female; 455, 20.16% male) over the age of 65 years (mean age 72.32±5.67years) who were admitted to Duygu Private Hospital and Burcu Private Physical Therapy Branch Center in Istanbul were included. Monthly admissions and seasonal distribution were retrospectively calculated for 2 years. Admission rates of females were higher than for males in all seasons; females presented mostly in spring (33.1%), whereas males presented mostly in autumn (30.3%). Examination of monthly and seasonal admission identified gender-based differences according to months (p=0.007) and seasons (p=0.018). Monthly and seasonal admission rates according to age groups showed similar distribution of monthly (p=0.406) and seasonal (p=0.327) admissions. These findings suggest that, due to climatic conditions in Istanbul, seasons with significant temperature changes affected musculoskeletal symptoms and that future studies should further analyze this subject.

Key words: Geriatrics, musculoskeletal diseases, physical therapy, seasonal variation