A not often discussed health burden facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is musculoskeletal pain (MSP). In addition to the painful physical symptoms, many Indigenous Australians who feel unwelcome and unacknowledged by mainstream medical services feel no choice but to suffer in silence.
Statistics
Musculoskeletal pain refers to pain felt in the musculoskeletal system, such as in joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Arthritis and osteoarthritis are the most common causes of MSP. Indigenous people are 1.6 times more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis than non-Indigenous people. 20% of Indigenous people suffer long-term MSP. While pain doesn’t directly shorten life expectancy, it can greatly reduce quality of life and hinder management of other conditions (such as staying active to fight high blood pressure).
Myth-busting
It is a misconception that Indigenous Australians don’t want to receive care. Their lower presentation at health facilities is more often attributed to negative experiences and associations with the staff and surroundings. Poor communication and language barriers are frequently cited as reasons for poor attendance. The attitude of medical professionals is also important. Patients do not want to seek care if they feel they are being stereotyped or stigmatized.
Alarmingly, Indigenous Australians were 2.2 times more likely to be prescribed opioids for pain by GP trainees than non-Aboriginal patients. This can be due in part to the inconvenient distance of non-opioid pain treatment, but could also be evidence of inadequate communication with patients, leading to blanket prescribing.
Why this matters
We cannot abandon the needs of Indigenous Australians simply because of language and cultural barriers. Indigenous Australians bear a huge burden of disease that needs special attention and resources to address. Left without proper medical attention, MSP will persist for Indigenous Australians, worsening many of their preexisting conditions and potentially encouraging opioid addiction.
By: Adrian Chernyk, 2020
Sources
The Conversation: Myths about musculoskeletal pain and Aboriginal Australians prevent high quality care
BioMed Central: The overall health and risk factor profile of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants from the 45 and up study
Click to access 1471-2458-13-661.pdf
ANZ Journal of Surgery: Variation in rates of hip and knee joint replacement in Australia based on socio-economic status, geographical locality, birthplace and indigenous statushttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21299795
Australian Journal of Rural Health: Quiet about pain: Experiences of Aboriginal people in two rural communities
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajr.12185
Pain Medicine: The Pattern of Opioid Management by Australian General Practice Trainees.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26118466
Written by: Adrian Chernyk
Adrian Chernyk: Health & Indigenous Australians 