Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Nov-Dec;111(6):508-11.

Pain management in the geriatric population

Robert Borsheski, Quinn L Johnson
Review

Pain management in the geriatric population

Robert Borsheski et al. Mo Med. 2014 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Pain is a highly prevalent and clinically important problem in the elderly. Unfortunately, due to difficulties in assessing pain in geriatric patients, the complexities of multiple comorbidities, and the high prevalence of polypharmacy, many practitioners are reluctant to treat pain aggressively in this unique patient population. Safe and effective treatment therefore, requires a working knowledge of the physiologic changes associated with aging, the challenges of accurately assessing pain, the unique effects of common therapeutic agents upon the elderly as well as the importance of adjunctive therapies. The following review is intended to provide the practitioner with practical knowledge for safer and more effective treatment of pain.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

None
Some non-pharmacological treatment options include physical therapy, osteopathic manipulation, massage therapy, TENS units, acupuncture, biofeedback, cognitive behavioral therapy and psychotherapy.
None
None
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Herr KA, Garand L. Assessment and measurement of pain in older adults. Pain Med. 2007;8(7):585–601. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Crook J, Rideout E, Browne G. The prevalence of pain complaints in a general population. Pain. 1984;18:299. - PubMed
    1. Pergolizzi J, Boger RH, et al. Opioids and the management of chronic severe pain in the elderly: consensus statement of an international expert panel with focus on the six clinically most often used World Health Organization stepp III opioids. Pain Practice. 2008;8(4):287–313. - PubMed
    1. American Geriatrics Society Panel on the Pharmacological Management of Persistent Pain in Older Persons. Pharmacological Management of Persistent Pain in Older Persons. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2009;57(8):1331–1346. - PubMed
    1. Auret K, Schug SA. Underutilisation of opioids in elderly patients with chronic pain. Drugs Aging. 2005;22(8):641–654. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources