In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i11-29, Impac Fac o : 8.048
IJCSRR @ 2025
www.ijcs .o g
5732 *Co esponding Au ho : A iel Ca ine Syaloomi a Sumampouw Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
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The Rela ionship be ween Gas oesophageal Re lux Disease (GERD) and
Musculoskele al Complain s
A iel Ca ine Syaloomi a Sumampouw1*, Su Djie To Ran e2, Dei Tunggal3, He man Pie e Louis Wungouw4
1Medical Educa ion P og am, Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Nusa Cendana Uni e si y, Kupang, Indonesia
2Depa men o O hopedics, Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Nusa Cendana Uni e si y, Kupang, Indonesia
3Depa men o Anes hesiology, Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Nusa Cendana Uni e si y, Kupang, Indonesia
4Depa men Radiology o Medicine P og am, Facul y o Medicine and Ve e ina y Medicine, Uni e si y o Nusa Cendana
ABSTRACT:
Backg ound: Gas oesophageal e lux disease (GERD) is a common gas oin es inal p oblem ha can a ec many body sys ems.
S udies ha e sugges ed a possible connec ion be ween GERD and musculoskele al complain s, bu he ela ionship is no ully clea
Objec i e: This s udy examined he ela ionship be ween GERD and musculoskele al complain s in pa ien s ea ed a Siloam
Hospi als Balikpapan.
Me hods: This c oss-sec ional s udy included 60 pa icipan s, di ided in o 30 GERD and 30 non-GERD pa ien s. Musculoskele al
symp oms we e measu ed using he Indonesian e sion o he No dic Musculoskele al Ques ionnai e. Da a we e analyzed wi h he
Shapi o–Wilk es , Spea man co ela ion, and Mann–Whi ney U es .
Resul s: Back pain (55%), wais pain (45%), and le shoulde pain (41.7%) we e he mos equen complain s. The o al
musculoskele al sco e was highe in he GERD g oup (279) han in he non-GERD g oup (65). The da a we e no no mally
dis ibu ed (p < 0.001). The e was a mode a e posi i e co ela ion be ween GERD and musculoskele al complain s ( = 0.460, p <
0.001). The Mann–Whi ney es also showed a signi ican di e ence be ween g oups (U = 283.5, Z = −3.536, p < 0.001.
Conclusion: GERD is ela ed o highe and mo e widesp ead musculoskele al complain s. Sc eening o musculoskele al symp oms
in GERD pa ien s may help imp o e ea ly managemen and pa ien quali y o li e.
KEYWORDS: Dysbiosis, GERD, Musculoskele al Pain, Gu –Muscle Axis, Gu –Join Axis, Sys emic In lamma ion.
INTRODUCTION
Gas oesophageal e lux disease (GERD) is a ch onic condi ion whe e s omach acid mo es upwa d in o he esophagus, causing
bu ning pain and discom o .1 The numbe o GERD cases is inc easing wo ldwide because o mode n ea ing habi s, educed physical
ac i i y, and ising obesi y a es.2 GERD can also a ec o he body sys ems h ough in lamma o y and neu ogenic pa hways.3
Musculoskele al complain s such as back pain, neck s i ness, and shoulde pain a e among he mos common heal h p oblems. They
limi mobili y, educe p oduc i i y, and a ec daily ac i i ies.4 Recen indings sugges ha gu heal h and he musculoskele al sys em
a e connec ed h ough he gu –muscle and gu –join axes.5 Dis up ions in he gu mic obiome and ch onic in lamma ion may in luence
muscle s eng h, join s abili y, and pain pe cep ion.6
GERD may igge sys emic in lamma ion h ough epea ed acid exposu e and gu mic obio a imbalance.7 This p ocess can elease
cy okines ha a ec muscle and join issues, leading o discom o o pain.8 Al hough p e ious s udies ha e discussed links be ween
gas oin es inal and musculoskele al diso de s, he ela ionship in ol ing GERD speci ically is no well unde s ood.⁹ This s udy aimed
o explo e he associa ion be ween GERD and musculoskele al complain s among pa ien s a Siloam Hospi als Balikpapan. The
indings a e expec ed o p o ide be e insigh in o he sys emic impac o GERD and suppo mo e comp ehensi e pa ien
managemen .
METHODS
This esea ch used a c oss-sec ional co ela ional design and was conduc ed a Siloam Hospi als Balikpapan om July o Augus
2025. The s udy in ol ed 60 pa icipan s, consis ing o 30 pa ien s diagnosed wi h GERD and 30 non-GERD pa ien s. Pa icipan s
In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i11-29, Impac Fac o : 8.048
IJCSRR @ 2025
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5733 *Co esponding Au ho : A iel Ca ine Syaloomi a Sumampouw Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
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Page No. 5732-5735
we e selec ed using simple andom sampling. Inclusion c i e ia we e adul s aged 17–55 yea s wi h a con i med diagnosis o GERD
and willingness o pa icipa e. Exclusion c i e ia included musculoskele al diso de s caused by inju y, congeni al disease, o o he
ch onic condi ions. Musculoskele al complain s we e measu ed using he Indonesian e sion o he No dic Musculoskele al
Ques ionnai e (NMQ), which has good eliabili y wi h a C onbach’s Alpha o 0.726. The ques ionnai e co e s 28 body egions and
uses a 4-poin scale (0–3). The o al sco e ca ego ies we e de ined as 28 o no pain, 29–57 o mild pain, 58–86 o mode a e pain,
and ≥87 o se e e pain. Da a we e collec ed h ough in e iews and medical eco d e iew, and each pa icipan comple ed he
NMQ unde esea che supe ision.Da a we e analyzed using SPSS e sion 25. The Shapi o–Wilk es was applied o assess da a
no mali y. Spea man’s co ela ion es was used o de e mine he ela ionship be ween GERD and musculoskele al complain s,
while he Mann–Whi ney U es was used o compa e he wo g oups. A p- alue o less han 0.05 was conside ed s a is ically
signi ican .
RESULTS
A o al o 60 esponden s pa icipa ed in his s udy, consis ing o 30 GERD pa ien s and 30 non-GERD pa ien s. Mos esponden s
we e emale (56.7%) and aged be ween 21 and 54 yea s, wi h a mean age o 32.43 yea s. The cha ac e is ics o esponden s a e
p esen ed in Table 1.
Table 1. Cha ac e is ics O Responden s
Va iable
GERD (n = 30)
Non-GERD (n = 30)
To al (n = 60)
Gende
Male
13 (43.3%)
13 (43.3%)
26 (43.3%)
Female
17 (56.7%)
17 (56.7%)
34 (56.7%)
Age (yea s)
Mean ± SD
32.43 ± 7.58
—
32.43 ± 7.58
Minimum–Maximum
21–54
—
21–54
The mos equen ly epo ed musculoskele al complain s we e back pain (55%), wais pain (45%), and le shoulde pain
(41.7%). The dis ibu ion o complain s by loca ion is shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Dis ibu ion o Musculoskele al Complain s
Loca ion o Complain
GERD (n = 30)
Non-GERD (n = 30)
To al (n = 60)
Pe cen age (%)
Back
21
12
33
55.0
Wais
18
9
27
45.0
Le Shoulde
16
9
25
41.7
The o al musculoskele al sco e was highe in he GERD g oup (279) han in he non-GERD g oup (65). The Shapi o–Wilk es
indica ed ha he da a we e no no mally dis ibu ed (p < 0.001). The Spea man co ela ion es showed a mode a e posi i e
ela ionship be ween GERD and musculoskele al complain s ( = 0.460, p < 0.001). The Mann–Whi ney U es con i med a
signi ican di e ence be ween g oups (U = 283.5, Z = −3.536, p < 0.001). A summa y o s a is ical analyses is p o ided in Table 3.
Table 3. S a is ical Analysis Resul s
Tes
Resul
p- alue
In e p e a ion
Shapi o–Wilk
Non-no mal dis ibu ion
< 0.001
Da a no no mal
Spea man Co ela ion
= 0.460
< 0.001
Mode a e posi i e co ela ion
Mann–Whi ney U Tes
U = 283.5; Z = −3.536
< 0.001
Signi ican di e ence be ween g oups
In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i11-29, Impac Fac o : 8.048
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DISCUSSION
This s udy ound ha musculoskele al complain s we e mo e common and mo e se e e among pa ien s wi h GERD. The
symp oms mos equen ly epo ed we e back pain, wais pain, and shoulde pain. The co ela ion and compa a i e analyses
con i med ha GERD is signi ican ly ela ed o musculoskele al discom o . These indings sugges ha GERD may con ibu e o
sys emic e ec s ha ex end beyond he gas oin es inal ac . A possible explana ion o his ela ionship lies in he in lamma o y
esponse associa ed wi h GERD. Ch onic exposu e o e luxa e can dis u b he gu mic obio a and inc ease in es inal pe meabili y,
allowing in lamma o y media o s o en e sys emic ci cula ion. This p ocess can igge cy okine elease, such as in e leukin-6 (IL-
6) and umo nec osis ac o -alpha (TNF-α), which a ec muscle ibe s and join issues. Pe sis en low-g ade in lamma ion may
al e muscle one, educe lexibili y, and c ea e sensa ions o s i ness o pain. These mechanisms a e consis en wi h he concep o
he gu –muscle and gu –join axes, which desc ibe how gas oin es inal heal h can in luence musculoskele al unc ion.10-12 P e ious
s udies ha e shown simila esul s. Miu a e al. epo ed ha pa ien s wi h GERD we e mo e likely o expe ience ch onic back and
shoulde pain han hose wi hou GERD.10 Wang e al. also obse ed a highe incidence o musculoskele al symp oms among
pa ien s wi h e lux disease, emphasizing he po en ial ole o sys emic in lamma ion.11 The p esen s udy adds o his e idence by
con i ming ha GERD and musculoskele al complain s a e signi ican ly co ela ed, especially in a clinical se ing in Indonesia.
F om a clinical pe spec i e, his inding highligh s he need o a mo e in eg a ed app oach o managing GERD. Physicians
should be awa e ha GERD may p esen wi h symp oms beyond he diges i e sys em. Assessing musculoskele al complain s in
GERD pa ien s may help iden i y unde lying in lamma ion and imp o e o e all managemen . Fo example, add essing li es yle
ac o s ha wo sen e lux—such as die , pos u e, and physical inac i i y—may also help educe musculoskele al symp oms.
Al hough his s udy p o ides meaning ul insigh s, i has limi a ions. The c oss-sec ional design does no allow o causal
in e p e a ion, and he sample size was ela i ely small. Fu u e esea ch using longi udinal o expe imen al designs is needed o
con i m he di ec ion o his ela ionship and o explo e speci ic in lamma o y o mic obio a changes in GERD pa ien s wi h
musculoskele al pain.
O e all, hese indings s eng hen he e idence ha GERD is no me ely a local esophageal diso de bu a condi ion wi h
po en ial sys emic implica ions. Unde s anding his b oade connec ion can help clinicians de elop mo e comp ehensi e ea men
s a egies ha add ess bo h diges i e and musculoskele al heal h.).
CONCLUSION
This s udy ound a clea link be ween gas oesophageal e lux disease (GERD) and musculoskele al complain s. Pa ien s
wi h GERD expe ienced pain mo e o en and in mo e body a eas, especially in he back, wais , and shoulde s. These esul s sugges
ha GERD may in luence musculoskele al heal h h ough in lamma o y and sys emic mechanisms. Recognizing musculoskele al
symp oms in GERD pa ien s can help clinicians manage he condi ion mo e e ec i ely. A simple assessmen o body pain du ing
consul a ion could p o ide ea ly clues abou he b oade impac o GERD. Collabo a ion be ween gas oen e ologis s, gene al
p ac i ione s, and ehabili a ion specialis s may also imp o e pa ien ou comes. Fu u e esea ch should in ol e la ge and mo e
di e se popula ions o be e unde s and how e lux- ela ed in lamma ion a ec s muscles and join s o e ime. Explo ing he ole
o gu mic obio a could also open new app oaches o p e en ion and ea men .
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The au ho s would like o hank he Facul y o Medicine, Uni e si as Nusa Cendana, and Siloam Hospi als Balikpapan o
hei suppo and pe mission o conduc his esea ch. We a e deeply g a e ul o all pa icipan s who ook he ime o be pa o his
s udy. Thei coope a ion made his wo k possible.
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In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch and Re iew
ISSN: 2581-8341
Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
DOI: 10.47191/ijcs /V8-i11-29, Impac Fac o : 8.048
IJCSRR @ 2025
www.ijcs .o g
5735 *Co esponding Au ho : A iel Ca ine Syaloomi a Sumampouw Volume 08 Issue 11 No embe 2025
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Ci e his A icle: Sumampouw, A.C.S., To Ran e, S.D., Tunggal, D., Louis Wungouw, H.P. (2025). The Rela ionship be ween
Gas oesophageal Re lux Disease (GERD) and Musculoskele al Complain s. In e na ional Jou nal o Cu en Science Resea ch
and Re iew, 8(11), pp. 5732-5735. DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.47191/ijcs /V8-i11-29
