Chronic Pain and the Elderly: A Caregiver's Guide to Pain Management

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Many elderly adults experience acute or chronic pain. Although this is an unavoidable part of growing older, it doesn't mean that seniors should suffer through it, especially as there are many ways to treat or manage this discomfort. With the help of family members and caregivers, the elderly can still continue living productive lives despite their conditions.

Chronic and acute pain don't just cause intolerable physical discomfort, they can also affect a person's emotional well-being, lifestyle, and relationships, so the best course of action is to nip them in the bud by introducing healthy living habits. Helping the elderly eat a nutritious and balanced diet, get enough sleep, and perform age-appropriate exercises regularly is a great start for staving off illnesses that might cause some pain. Regular check-ups, consistency in taking their supplements and prescribed medications are also recommended.

It's important also to note that some elderly individuals might not be too forthcoming about any pain they might be feeling or in some cases, might be unable to communicate how they're feeling such as in seniors with dementia. Family members and caregivers must be especially observant of signs of discomfort like grimacing, grunting, favoring one side of the body, and unease. But when possible, it's recommended to talk to the person in pain to find out what can be done.

Doctors may recommend a variety of pain treatments ranging from medication to injection treatments, physical therapy, and radiofrequency nerve ablations (a minimally-invasive pain reduction procedure), among others, as a means of treating the patient's pain. Caregivers must remember that medicines should only be administered under a doctor's supervision as older patients react to pain relievers differently from younger ones.

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In addition to the methods mentioned, elderly patients may also benefit from relaxation techniques, counseling, support groups, and even alternative medicine like acupuncture, which a report in the Harvard Health Blog showed to be beneficial for chronic pain sufferers. Most importantly, however, a senior person with chronic or acute pain problems will be able to maintain normal, active lives with a supportive network.

Pain management specialist Dr. Melanie Novak, M.D., takes a multidisciplinary approach in addressing her patients' specific pain needs. Follow this Twitter account for more on chronic pain symptoms and their treatments.