Seasonal Admission Rates of Geriatric Patients with Musculoskeletal Problems to Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinics

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. [Med-Science 2013; 2(2.000): 557-63