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Chronic pain in elderly people

L Gagliese¹, R Melzack

¹Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. lucy@ego.psych.mcgill.ca

|March 1, 1997

Summary

Many elderly individuals suffer from chronic pain, yet inadequate management persists. This review examines pain assessment, pharmacotherapy risks, and non-pharmacological strategies for older adults experiencing persistent pain.

Area of Science:

Gerontology
Pain Management
Psychology

Background:

Chronic pain significantly impacts a majority of elderly individuals, often interfering with daily functioning.
A substantial portion of older adults with chronic pain do not receive adequate pain management.
Barriers include improper pain assessment, pharmacotherapy risks, and misconceptions about non-pharmacological treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

To review commonly used pain assessment instruments in the elderly.
To describe age-related differences in chronic pain experience.
To evaluate the efficacy of psychological pain management strategies for older adults.

Main Methods:

Literature review of pain assessment tools.
Analysis of age-related pain experience patterns.

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Synthesis of evidence on psychological interventions for chronic pain in the elderly.

Main Results:

Common pain assessment instruments suitable for the elderly are identified.
Specific patterns of chronic pain experience related to age are described.
Evidence supports the efficacy of psychological pain management strategies for this demographic.

Conclusions:

Addressing inadequate pain management in the elderly requires improved assessment and consideration of non-pharmacological options.
Psychological interventions offer a viable and effective approach to managing chronic pain in older adults.
Further research and clinical practice should integrate these findings to enhance elderly pain care.