[Musculoskeletal complaints in a population. Occurrence and localization]

Musculo-skeletal complaints are widespread. In a population survey in Ullensaker, a local community 40 kilometers north-east of Oslo, only 15% reported no musculo-skeletal symptoms during the last year. Just as many, 15%, predominantly women aged 50-70 years years, reported having such symptoms every day during the last year. 53% reported that they had experienced low back pain during the last year. The corresponding figures for headache, neck symptoms and shoulder symptoms were 49%, 48% and 46% respectively. Headache was most common among the younger women and neck and shoulder symptoms among middle-aged, while hip and knee symptoms were most frequent in the elderly women. Women in all age groups reported symptoms from more parts of the body than the men did.