Chronic, non-specific and widespread pain is very common among older adults. Traditional interventions which usually use physical means to deal with individual joints only cannot address the problem. Is there any effective interventions that incorporate physical, psychological and social needs of this population?
Dear Wayne,
There are all kinds of interventions for older people with chronic pain:
Article The Effectiveness of an Online Mind-Body Intervention for Ol...
Article Are Older Adults with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Less Acti...
Article Aromatherapy Hand Massage for Older Adults With Chronic Pain...
Article Peer volunteers in an integrative pain management program fo...
Article (563) Treatment success of older adults with chronic pain at...
Here are some possible publications related to a 3 week, outpatient based multidisciplinary pain program that could be helpful for you to review--W. Michael Hooten had been the main physician champion in the past.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20735746
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18804915
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22994358
I have discovered a method of analysis of retinal photographs that correlates with blood flow in the retina, which is essentially part of the brain. I have interventions that improve blood flow in the retina (brain?).
A small number of patients have experienced reduced pain and reduced c-reactive protein levels.
Thanks Beatrice for your information. Very useful.
Since pain among older adults is usually chronic and non-specific, physical means such as physical exercise or strategies to promote physical activity may not be as effective as they were among younger adults. Its impact on daily function, quality of life and psychological status may also be limited in longer term.
I wonder if there is any combination of therapies or strategies that can help older adults to adjust their expectation on pain and reduce its impact on daily living. Self-management has been shown effective among people with osteoarthritis and chronic pain but not sure if it is also great for older adults. Maybe it's worthwhile to look into it.
Article Self-Management Strategies to Reduce Pain and Improve Functi...
Hello Wayne,
Here are several other articles you may find helpful if you're still looking for more. Sorry I couldn't locate the pdfs of the first two. From what I've read and from my own clinical experience self-management seems equally effective for older adults as for younger ones. Actually, in clinical experience, I have found older adults to show greater engagement in their self-care.
Best regards,
Leisa
Carnes, D., Homer, K. & Miles, C. (2012) Effective delivery styles and content for self-management interventions for chronic musculoskeletal pain: a systematic literature review. The Clinical journal …, pp.1–4. Available from: [Accessed 25 October 2014].
Keefe, F.J., Porter, L., Somers, T., Shelby, R. & Wren, a V (2013) Psychosocial interventions for managing pain in older adults: outcomes and clinical implications. British journal of anaesthesia, 111 (1), pp.89–94. Available from: [Accessed 16 November 2014].
Nicholas, M.K., Asghari, A., Blyth, F.M., Wood, B.M., Murray, R., McCabe, R., Brnabic, A., Beeston, L., Corbett, M., Sherrington, C. & Overton, S. (2013) Self-management intervention for chronic pain in older adults: a randomised controlled trial. Pain, 154 (6), pp.824–35. Available from: [Accessed 25 December 2014].
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Social Psychology
- Attitude