My very elderly mother (93 years old) often complains of back and neck pain. It seems to come and go, only lasting a day or two. And it’s never in the same place twice in a row. Is this normal or should we take her to the doctor for this?

A recent study from Denmark shows this is fairly typical of older adults. They studied 4,486 adults ages 70 to 101 and found a greater amount of neck and/or back pain in aging adults with other health issues.

Poor health in general is linked with an increase in neck or back pain. Often these two occur together, but they don’t last long. Spinal pain in more than one area is also linked with poor general health.

It may be a good idea to have a medical exam if she hasn’t been seen by her doctor lately. Back pain can be caused by other diseases and illnesses that are treatable.