Chronic Pain In Older Adults
As the U.S. population ages, older adults with chronic pain are increasing dramatically. Research has found that 50 percent of the elderly who live on their own and 75-85 percent of the elderly in care facilities suffer from chronic pain (NIH Medline Plus, 2011). Nonetheless, most elders with chronic pain do not receive adequate treatment. Elder people often believe that pain is inevitable as a natural process of getting old. Society also imposes the belief that unable to endure the pain is a sign of being weak and old; these beliefs lead to under-treatment of chronic pain. Chronic pain can negatively impact the quality of life. Chronic pain could trigger complicated symptoms such as depression, anxiety, decreased mobility, social isolation,
poor sleep, and related health risks (NIH Medline Plus, 2011). Chronic pain also is costly. The annual cost of chronic pain is as high as $635 billion a year, which is more than the yearly costs of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes (Darrell, 2012). The expenses might be daunting for elders who has limited income and retirement saving.
Common practice of pain management is pain medications such as opioids and non-opioids medications. The pain medications can relieve pain and dulls the senses. Consequently, pain medications can cause several adverse effects such as drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, physical dependence, tolerance, and respiratory depression. Thus, elder people might find that the side effects are more troublesome than the actual pain. It is necessary to search for an alternative treatment that would greatly increase the pain relief.
As people have more knowledge and access to complementary therapies, an increased number of people choose a complementary therapy along with Western biomedicine to treat chronic pain. As a nurse, it is important to have basic knowledge of complementary therapy and provide resources and education for the patient who seeks alternative treatment. Acupuncture is one of the popular complementary therapies in effectively treating chronic pain. Acupuncture is the insertion of thin needles at specific points on the body. Research has shown that acupuncture has lower complications and potential adverse effects compared to medications (Pendick, 2013).
The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence of whether the acupuncture treatment compares to the standard pain protocol is more effective in reducing pain intensity in geriatric patients. More research is needed to decide the duration of pain reduction in acupuncture treatment.
poor sleep, and related health risks (NIH Medline Plus, 2011). Chronic pain also is costly. The annual cost of chronic pain is as high as $635 billion a year, which is more than the yearly costs of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes (Darrell, 2012). The expenses might be daunting for elders who has limited income and retirement saving.
Common practice of pain management is pain medications such as opioids and non-opioids medications. The pain medications can relieve pain and dulls the senses. Consequently, pain medications can cause several adverse effects such as drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, physical dependence, tolerance, and respiratory depression. Thus, elder people might find that the side effects are more troublesome than the actual pain. It is necessary to search for an alternative treatment that would greatly increase the pain relief.
As people have more knowledge and access to complementary therapies, an increased number of people choose a complementary therapy along with Western biomedicine to treat chronic pain. As a nurse, it is important to have basic knowledge of complementary therapy and provide resources and education for the patient who seeks alternative treatment. Acupuncture is one of the popular complementary therapies in effectively treating chronic pain. Acupuncture is the insertion of thin needles at specific points on the body. Research has shown that acupuncture has lower complications and potential adverse effects compared to medications (Pendick, 2013).
The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence of whether the acupuncture treatment compares to the standard pain protocol is more effective in reducing pain intensity in geriatric patients. More research is needed to decide the duration of pain reduction in acupuncture treatment.