Management of chronic pain
- 1 April 1993
- journal article
- prescribing for-the-elderly
- Published by AMPCo in The Medical Journal of Australia
- Vol. 158 (7) , 478-481
- https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.1993.tb137580.x
Abstract
The principles of chronic pain management in the elderly are the same as in younger people; whenever possible, the cause of the pain should be identified and eradicated. However, older people are more likely to suffer pain from incurable conditions, and the emotional component of the suffering may be considerable. Treatment options include analgesics, opiates, antidepressants and anticonvulsants as well as psychological strategies, physical strategies such as exercise and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and surgery. Improvement of function may be a more important treatment goal than relief of pain.Keywords
This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- Is there such a thing as geriatric pain?Pain, 1991
- Pain Management in Elderly PeopleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1991
- Pain in the Nursing HomeJournal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1990
- THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GERIATRIC PAIN CLINIC - A PRELIMINARY REPORT OF THE FIRST 100 PATIENTS.Australian Journal on Ageing, 1989
- Influence of Age on Pain Relief From AnalgesicsJAMA, 1971