Does type 2 diabetes increase the risk of musculoskeletal pain? Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of UK biobank data.

Objective: We investigated cross-sectional associations and whether type 2 diabetes increases the risk of musculoskeletal pain after adjusting for the presence of important comorbidities.

Methods: The study employed data from the UK Biobank participants: 495,327 in cross-sectional (2006-2010) and 16,875 in longitudinal (2014-2016) analyses. Type 2 diabetes was self-reported and subsequently confirmed during an interview. Musculoskeletal pain was diagnosed by the participants' reports of back, knee, hip, or neck/shoulder pain that interfered with usual activities in the last month (recent pain), and for more than 3 months (chronic pain).

Results: In cross-sectional adjusted logistic regression analyses, type 2 diabetes was associated with recent and chronic neck/shoulder pain [OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.10-1.18; OR 1.15, 95%CI 1.10-1.19] and hip pain [OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.08-1.17; OR 1.14 95%CI 1.09-1.19]; and with chronic knee pain [OR 1.01, 95%CI 1.01-1.01]. In longitudinal adjusted analyses, type 2 diabetes increased the risk of recent and chronic neck/shoulder pain [OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.01-1.91; OR 1.56; 95%CI 1.14-2.19].

Conclusion: People with type 2 diabetes are more likely to report musculoskeletal pain in shoulder/neck, knee or hip. In addition, people with type 2 diabetes, particularly women, are more likely to present with a future episode of neck/shoulder pain. This study highlights the need to consider musculoskeletal screening among patients with diabetes and also serves as a stimulus for investigation of the mechanisms that explain the relationship between musculoskeletal pain and type 2 diabetes; with a view to prevention or improving future treatment.