Precision Health: Use of Omics to Optimize Self-Management of Chronic Pain in Aging

Chronic pain has become a public health epidemic based on the number of Americans affected and its associated health care costs. Unfortunately, there are few efficacious treatments to manage chronic pain and as the population of older adults and centenarians who are at high risk for chronic pain continues to grow, the chronic pain epidemic will continue to worsen unless new therapeutic strategies are discovered. In the current era of precision medicine, there is a major emphasis being placed on the use of self-management and omics to discover new therapeutic targets and design treatment strategies that are tailored to the individual patient. This commentary discusses the current state of the science related to omics and self-management of chronic pain in older adults, the role of gerontological nurses in this process, and future directions. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2018; 11(1):7-13.].