Many Anguillians downplay pain as an annoying part of getting older. Pain in older people is an increasingly important health issue, and one that requires urgent attention. Chronic pain does not just stop at physical pain — one study found that chronic pain has a severe detrimental effect on their social, work and family environment, too.
Chronic pain
Pain in older adults is poorly understood. Aging seems to be associated with increased pain thresholds and poor functioning of endogenous pain inhibition mechanisms. The treatments of chronic pain are frequently misunderstood and steeped in myth. While pain sometimes comes with age, there is a difference between some nuisance pain from physical wear and tear and chronic pain. Chronic pain can be a result of an illness or injury, and is also linked to back pain, cancer, arthritis, headache and nerve pain. If you have chronic pain, you should not just tough it out – seek professional help. There are many treatments available. Ignoring your pain can have serious consequences, especially if you choose to self-medicate in unhealthy ways rather than see a healthcare professional. Your doctor will be able to guide you toward the best treatment for you so you can live your healthiest, pain-free, life. Although in most cases, chronic pain cannot kill you, but it can have a profound effect on your quality of life. People who suffer from chronic pain are twice as likely to report suicidal behaviours or commit suicide. The constant struggle with chronic pain can be enough for some people to feel hopeless and, unfortunately, contemplate suicide.
If you have suicidal thoughts, it is imperative that you seek help from support groups, your doctor, family or friends.
Things to do
Aging of the human body is a natural process and certain things are inevitable and happen to everyone – things such as greying hair, diminishing hearing or eyesight, wrinkling skin. We are all familiar with these and accept that some or most of them will eventually come to all of us sooner or later. However, the onset of pain leading to chronic pain, need not be one of the things we accept as a normal part of the aging process. There are measures we can take to avoid this and continue to live a healthier, more active life. The first and probably most significant thing we can do is preventive. By adopting a healthy lifestyle at an early age, we are helping ourselves to stay fit or as fit as we can be whilst on this earth. In other words, adopt a sensible attitude towards food, drink and fitness. People who are active early in life usually stay healthier longer.
Seek help. There is no need to suffer in silence, or just put up with it making ourselves miserable and frequently irritable with our loved ones. It is better if we consult a professional sooner, rather than later, meaning when we start to endure pain that does not go away, we should make that call searching for a qualified professional who can offer the appropriate treatment before it gets any worse, rather than waiting until it is hardly bearable. If we wait until that point, not only have we caused ourselves unnecessary suffering, but it makes the healing process so much more difficult, and takes so much longer to get back to a more normal way of being. We have choices and here are other measures we can take, intellectually and emotionally.
We can seek out information on chronic pain management, thus reducing our fear. We can make sure we try to control negativity, remembering that our thoughts have an impact on our physical bodies. Adopting one or more relaxations techniques have been shown to be helpful. These might be meditation or yoga, and under the guidance of our healthcare provider we can do appropriate exercises, follow a healthy diet and adopt a good sleep regime.
Management of chronic pain in the elderly
The management of chronic pain in the elderly is a major clinical challenge. Pain can often co-occur with emotional and mental health difficulties and be associated with anxiety and depression. Medicines play only a minor part in managing persistent pain and therefore patients should be encouraged to see a team of professionals. Under the guidance of a qualified healthcare provider, individuals with chronic pain should be encouraged to adopt self-management strategies and non-pharmacological treatment options and encouraged to use them. The principal aim of chronic pain management, in the elderly, is to enable people with chronic pain to achieve as normal a life as possible by reducing physical disability and emotional distress.
Conclusion
Many elderly individuals in Anguilla suffer from chronic pain. This pain can severely disrupt daily routines for many. It is widely agreed that chronic pain in the elderly is poorly evaluated and managed in many countries, including Anguilla. There is no reason for elderly individuals in Anguilla to suffer silently with persistent pain as they get older. Healthcare professionals agree that it is everyone’s right to receive adequate pain management that improves quality of life, and conserves the ability to carry out the activities of daily living. Good pain management can also keep older persons healthier by allowing them to stay active, eat well, and enjoy a normal social life. If you are elderly and suffers from chronic pain, please seek professional help.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. The reader should consult his or her physician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field are ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented. Always talk to your doctor for professional medical advice.
Dr Brett Hodge is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in The Johnson Building in The Valley (Tel: 264 4975828).
