Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain and Risk of Incident Parkinson's Disease: A 13-Year Longitudinal Study

This large population-based cohort study of 355,890 participants followed for 13 years examined whether chronic musculoskeletal pain increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease and related parkinsonism disorders. Results showed a dose-response relationship: participants with more widespread chronic pain sites had progressively higher risks of incident Parkinson's disease (11-49% increased risk depending on pain extent), though the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear.