Aching. Burning. Stinging. That is the way many older adults with chronic pain express what they live with on a daily basis. Chronic pain may occur anywhere in the body, in some cases for no apparent reason at all. It is defined by pain that continues for more than three months, either nonstop or off and on. And it’s more prevalent than you might think, affecting a quarter of us in the US, which makes finding pain management solutions essential for millions of Americans.
Needless to say, such continuous pain can have a dramatic impact on an older adult’s total wellbeing. Not only does it affect the ability to perform everyday physical duties and activities, it also causes psychological pressure too, often resulting in anxiety, tiredness, moodiness, depression, insomnia, and more.
Quite a few factors go into the decision of how to best assist an older adult with chronic pain, including the suspected or established root cause of the pain, how serious the pain is, where in the body it occurs, and age/overall health. There are a number of medication-based treatments to ease pain, including treatment for any emotional effects being experienced.
Also, the physician might want to try a nerve block, epidural steroid injection, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, which involves small electrical impulses delivered through skin patches.
There can be unpleasant side effects from these types of treatments, and some are quite serious, so the doctor will need to carefully assess what works best for the patient.
Encouraging changes in lifestyle for older adults is an effective starting place, because they can be implemented right away without any negative effects. Several recommendations from our experts in home care in Creve Coeur and the surrounding areas include:
Allow the aging care team at Compassionate Nursing Services, a trusted provider of in-home care in Creve Coeur, MO and nearby areas, help an older adult you know find the pain management solutions they need. There are a variety of ways our care providers can help, including:
Contact us any time at 314-432-4312 and let us know about the challenges you are experiencing so that we can offer a solution to overcome them.
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