According to the latest research, having Parkinson disease (PD) increases the risk of developing osteoporosis. Since osteoporosis causes loss of bone mass thereby leading to increased fractures, it has become an important concern for people living with PD.

Patients with Parkinson disease also become more susceptible to falls, which can result in an increased risk of fractures. Choi S M, et al. conducted a study to determine the association between the subtypes of pain and the bone mineral density (BMD) in PD patients. The data of 162 people living with PD was assessed using the patients' descriptions, a structured interview, a detailed neurologic examination, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) outcomes. These patients were scheduled for bone scanning and underwent BMD measurement using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans.

The study results demonstrated that of 162 PD patients, 120 had chronic pain, while 42 reported no pain. The most common type of pain was in the order of frequency, musculoskeletal, followed by radicular/neuropathic, dystonic, and central. Patients with musculoskeletal pain had a lower BMD than PD patients without pain. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the low BMD of the lumbar spine, hip, and femoral neck were related to the older age, female gender, low MBI, and the presence of musculoskeletal pain.

A high prevalence of osteoporosis in people living with PD was reported. Also, there was a significant association between PD with musculoskeletal pain, reduced BMD and the risk of osteoporosis. Thus, these findings may provide a valuable hint for the therapeutic strategy for treating osteoporosis in PD patients. Because of the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in PD and other risk factors related to low BMD, the therapeutic interventions should be initiated to improve the quality of life and should consider screening of PD patients for osteoporosis.