Pain is a common complaint among the elderly. Understanding the different types of pain that older adults experience is important for effective pain management.

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Management of Pain in Older Adults
Pain is a common complaint among the elderly.
Understanding the different types of pain that older adults
experience is important for effective pain management.
Pain in older adults can be acute or chronic. Understanding
the different types of pain that older adults experience is
important for effective pain
management. While acute pain
occurs suddenly and lasts a short
period of time, chronic pain
persists and can last for months
and even years. Acute pain can
be treated and resolved, but if left unattended, can turn
chronic. Typical chronic pain complaints include headache,
low back pain, cancer pain, arthritis pain, and neurogenic
pain which is caused by damage to the peripheral nerves or
to the central nervous system. Pain can also be psychogenic
or unrelated to any of the typical causes.
Pain in the elderly often goes untreated or undertreated,
profoundly impacting the quality of life of older adults.
Barriers to Effective Treatment
There are many barriers to effective pain control. Patients
often do not report pain, are ignorant about the
consequences, and may be reluctant to take pain
medication.
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Cognitive or functional impairments such as delirium,
dementia, speech disorders, paraplegias may also hinder the
pain assessment process in the elderly patients. On the
provider side, the failure to properly assess pain,
insufficient knowledge about managing pain and
reimbursement concerns may impact treatment and care.
Effective Pain Management for Geriatric Patients
Successful pain management depends upon accurate
diagnosis, which is based on a complete history and
thorough physical examination, as well as an assessment of
psychosocial functioning. The ideal place to seek treatment
for the elderly is at a professional healthcare center. The
cause of the pain would be detected through physical
examination and imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scan, or
MRI.
At a professional healthcare center, a combination of
pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches
would be used to reduce pain and improve function. The
pharmacologic approach includes treatment with
medications such as
 Acetaminophen
 NSAIDs
 Narcotics
 Anesthetics
 Antidepressants
 Muscle relaxers
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 Steroids
 Anticonvulsant medicine
Nonpharmacologic interventions involve custom physical
therapy programs for geriatric patients including include
therapeutic massages, electro-physical modalities like
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS),
cold/heat treatments, and regular physical exercises.
Fall Risks
Chronic pain is associated with an increased risk for falls
among older adults. Hip fractures and bone disorders in the
elderly occur mainly due to falls. According to an article
published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
Americans with arthritic conditions are at higher risk for
falls and fall-related injuries than those without the
condition. The CDC team also noted that the rate of
prevalence of this arthritic condition is nearly 50 percent
among adults 65 and older and about 30 percent among
adults ages 45 to 64.
Fall prevention programs at established rehabilitation
centers are designed to reduce the risk of falls/injuries in
geriatric patients. The program includes individual balance
training and exercise, balance program, and safety tips to
minimize the risk of environmental factors that can cause
falls.
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