Health, pain and daily activities among elderly people practicing Lian Gong and sedentary elderly people/ Saude, dor e atividades de vida diaria entre idosos praticantes de Lian Gonge sedentarios

It is a well-known fact that the practice of physical activity on a regular basis among elderly people contributes to the prevention and reduction of pain, as well as promote active ageing. Based on this premise, the scope of this study was to evaluate the presence of chronic pain among elderly people attended in a primary health care unit in a city in the interior of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, by comparing those who practice Chinese gymnastics (Lian Gong) and the sedentary. Sixty elderly people were divided between 30 sedentary and 30 who participate in a group practicing Lian Gong. The presence of pain was assessed through the Nordic Questionnaire on Musculoskeletal Symptoms, already adapted and validated for Brazilian culture. When questioned about pain in the last seven days, the Lian Gong group showed a higher presence (62,3%) of pain when compared to the sedentary group, although they had fewer difficulties in performing daily activities (55,5%). Among the active elderly the presence of lower back pain was statistically inferior (p < 0.05) when comparing the groups. The practice of Lian Gong was associated to a more positive perception of one's health, less use of medicines, as well as the adopting of self-care practices and the feeling of fewer impairments in performing daily activities. Key words Exercise, Chronic pain, Complementary therapies, Primary health care A pratica regular de atividade fisica entre idosos contribui tanto para a prevencao e a reducao da dor, quanto atua na promocao do envelhecimento ativo. Diante disso, este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a presenca de dor cronica em idosos atendidos em uma unidade de atencao primaria do interior do estado de Sao Paulo, comparando os praticantes da ginastica chinesa (Lian Gong) e os idosos sedentarios. Participaram deste estudo 60 idosos, sendo 30 integrantes de um grupo de Lian Gong e 30 sedentarios. A presenca da dor foi avaliada pelo Questionario Nordico de Sintomas Osteomusculares, adaptado e validado para a cultura brasileira. A presenca da dor nos ultimos sete dias foi maior (62,3%) no grupo de praticantes de Lian Gong, porem com menor impedimento para realizacao de atividades (55,5%) quando comparados com o grupo de sedentarios. Nos individuos ativos a presenca da dor na parte inferior das costas foi estatisticamente menor (p < 0,05) quando comparados ambos os grupos. A pratica do Lian Gong esteve relacionada com a percepcao positiva da propria saude, o menor uso de medicamentos, a