[Assessment of chronic pain in elderly patients]

Pain is extremely common among older people but often inadequately treated. Chronic pain and its management have major implications for quality of life and quality of care, especially for terminal ill patients and residents of long-term-care facilities. Many physicians lack information about pain assessment and may have an inaccurate knowledge base about pharmacological agents and non-pharmacological approaches used in pain control. Although fundamental data on the pathophysiology and management of chronic pain is still lacking there is some information to provide a framework for rational nosology and therapeutic strategy. Some guidelines may help to improve pain assessment and management in elderly people and may help to enhance physicians' awareness about that problem.