Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation
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Arch Phys Med Rehabil · Mar 2020
Chronic Pain Characteristics and Gait in Older Adults: The MOBILIZE Boston Study II.
To investigate a proposed cognitively-mediated pathway whereby pain contributes to gait impairments by acting as a distractor in community-living older adults. ⋯ These findings suggest that chronic pain contributes to decrements in gait, including slower gait speed, and that it operates through a cognitively-mediated pathway. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms via pain alters mobility and to develop interventions to improve mobility among older adults with chronic pain.