How does age affect pain perception?
Age differences in pain perception are less consistent. Some studies indicate older adults are more sensitive to experimental pain than young adults, whereas others suggest a decrease in sensitivity with age. (14), (20)Pain is commonly under-recognized undertreated in older adults compared to younger adults.
What do you need to know about pain in older adults?
1 Pain in Older Adults. ... 2 Growing Numbers. ... 3 Pain’s Impact on Older Adults. ... 4 Physical Changes Shift Perception of Pain. ... 5 The Role of Medicine. ... 6 Behavioral Therapy in Older Adults. ... 7 Social Support and Perception of Pain. ... 8 Cognitive Issues. ... 9 Summary. ...
How does age affect the mental health of older adults?
Szczerbinska et al found that in almost one-half of their sample of older adults in home care and institutional settings, mental health problems increased with age. 16 Physical changes in older adults can influence the perception of pain.
Is pain management effective in the elderly?
The elderly population is one of the fastest growing groups in the United States. Pain is a significant problem for community-dwelling elders and for elderly persons in residential facilities. Numerous barriers exist to effective pain management in the elderly.
Why does pain increase with age?
A potential mechanism for the increase in pain sensitivity observed with advancing age is age-related increases in systemic inflammation (59,60,61). Chronic inflammation sensitizes peripheral nociceptors, is a factor in central sensitization (62), and activates central stress circuits (51).
Are you more sensitive to pain as you get older?
Study shows pain causes older adults to develop more inflammation over time. Summary: When older relatives complain about their pains, show a little empathy, because new research suggests that as we age, we may all become more sensitive to pain.
Does pain sensation decrease with age?
These results are consistent with previous studies reporting that aging is associated with a reduced sensation of “sharpness”25 and a diminished initial component of pain.
Do older people experience pain differently?
Under normal physiological conditions, older people may be less sensitive to low levels of stimuli – for example they have a higher pain threshold – but they tend to be more sensitive to higher levels of stimuli – meaning that they have a lower ability to tolerate more severe pain.
How do older adults react to pain?
Pain is associated with substantial disability from reduced mobility, avoidance of activity, falls, depression and anxiety, sleep impairment, and isolation. Its negative effects extend beyond the patient, to disrupt both family and social relationships.
Do nerves become less sensitive?
With aging, sensations may be reduced or changed. These changes can occur because of decreased blood flow to the nerve endings or to the spinal cord or brain.
Can you lose pain receptors?
We can't change our genetic receptors, and not even changing your hair color or which hand you write with can rewire your sensitivity to pain. However, there are coping mechanisms that can influence the brain's perceptions of pain.
How many older people experience pain?
A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control shows that approximately 50 million older adults experience significant or chronic pain every year – a result of stiff, aging joints, ...
How to manage pain in older adults?
The take home message: While pain is common among older adults, there are ways to treat it. Building good partnerships with caregivers and exploring a range of options – medicines, therapies and physical activity – are effective ways to manage pain later in life.
What are the barriers to pain management?
A systematic review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association investigates the barriers to pain management for older adults and looks at the treatments that work best. The research was conducted by faculty from Cornell University's Translational Research Institute for Pain in Later Life (TRIPLL). The review includes 92 studies – 35 that evaluated medicines for pain treatment and 57 that evaluated other treatments. Here’s what it found: 1 Older adults do not absorb medicines as well as younger people and are less able to flush toxins out of their bodies. 2 Patients with sensory or cognitive impairments may not be able to adequately describe their pain to caregivers. 3 Doctors often worry about the long-term effects of taking pain medicines, especially if the patient is taking medicines for other chronic conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. 4 Patients often view pain treatments as “weakness” and view tolerating pain as a sign of strength in older age. 5 Patients are less likely to seek pain treatment if they don’t have strong, trusting relationships with their doctors.
What is a systematic review of pain management?
A systematic review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association investigates the barriers to pain management for older adults and looks at the treatments that work best. The research was conducted by faculty from Cornell University's Translational Research Institute for Pain in Later Life (TRIPLL). The review includes 92 studies – 35 that evaluated medicines for pain treatment and 57 that evaluated other treatments. Here’s what it found:
What is the key to a pain management review?
Lastly, a central finding of the review is that doctors must be proactive in listening to patients’ evaluations of their pain levels and offering a multi-faceted approach to pain treatment.
Why are patients less likely to seek pain treatment?
Patients are less likely to seek pain treatment if they don’t have strong, trusting relationships with their doctors.
Why are NSAIDs only used for short periods of time?
The review recommends that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) only be used for short periods of time because of risks associated with heart problems, kidney problems, and stomach ulcers. Non-pharmaceutical interventions can also go a long way in relieving pain, especially when used with pain medicines.
Does age affect how you cope with chronic pain?
We all cope differently with our pain. We range from completely disabled to those who are able to live life normally. I’ve crossed that full range myself.
Coping Theories
There are two primary categories that coping theories fall into when looking at these differences in coping with age.
How does coping differ with age?
Increasing age was directly related to lower pain severity.
Pain in Older Adults
Growing Numbers
- The growth of research studies focusing on the older adult has increased considerably over the past 2 decades. This growth can be explained, in part, by the growing numbers of adults over 65 years of age, who currently make up approximately 10% of the total US population.² According to the US Census Bureau, older adults are the fastest growing segment of the population, with an a…
Pain’s Impact on Older Adults
- Chronic pain in the older population has a widespread impact on a variety of problems, including activity restrictions, sleep issues, and mood.
The Role of Medicine
- As we age, we also rely more on medicine—both prescription medications and over the counter (OTC) formulations and supplements—to maintain a quality of life. Recent research indicates that older adults take between 5 to 8 medicines daily, with 12% to 39% taking more than 9 different medications daily.¹⁹ If this trend continues, the number of older patients taking multiple medicati…
Behavioral Therapy in Older Adults
- Behavioral therapy techniques are appropriate for older adults, provided they are not confused or that their memory is not compromised. In my practice, I have found that relaxation techniques can be effective if the patient is selected carefully. I also add temperature biofeedbackto augment relaxation procedures. One patient of mine, a 85 year-old male, was still actively farming despite …
Social Support and Perception of Pain
- The role of social support to help patients cope with chronic pain is just as important for older adults as it is for younger ones. In older adults, social support is different in form and function because they report fewer friends and social supports compared with younger adults.²⁶ In addition, older adults report feeling that emotional wellbeing is associated with having a few clo…
Cognitive Issues
- The influence of memory loss or dementia is an important consideration when treating older adults who live with persistent pain. According to Corbett et al, 30% to 50% of older adults diagnosed with dementia experience persistent pain.²⁷ When you combine dementia and pain, a number of behaviors can occur, including aggression, agitation, and confusion. In addition, a po…
Summary
- My own personal experience has shown me that the treatment of older adults in pain presents a special challenge for many reasons. Many older adults have experienced many hardships, including a world war and a major economic depression. These hardships have contributed to a mindset of stoicism (eg, being “brave in the face of pain”). This mindset presents a number of ch…