The Association Between Pain and the Risk of Falling in the Elderly With Knee Osteoarthritis

The risk of falling is a major problem for the elderly with knee osteoarthritis. Factors that increase the risk of falling include postural disorders caused by pain. Severe pain affects the functional activities of the elderly. This might lead to weakened muscles and exacerbate the loss of postural control or impaired balance, which increases the risk of falling. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between pain and the risk of falling in the elderly in Malang. It was conducted through a cross-sectional study with 53 participants recruited from a healthcare center in Malang. These participants were all diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis and were aged above 55 years old. The VAS scale was used to measure the pain level, while the Hopkins Falls Grading scale was used to measure the risk of falling. The Spearman test analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between pain and the risk of falling (r = 0.46, p < 0.05)