Through the natural process of aging, issues arise that lead to chronic pain for many older adults.
Some chronic pain may be due to a former injury, such as back pain resulting from a car accident.
Others may simply be feeling their age or have a health condition that has taken its toll, though managing this pain can be incredibly complex, no matter the root cause.
Understanding Chronic Pain and How It Impacts Quality of Life
Chronic pain is defined as being persistent in its discomfort and lasting long beyond the anticipated healing time frame. Generally, a person is considered to be enduring a condition of chronic pain if they have these same issues for more than three to six months.
Chronic pain itself is complex simply because it can be caused in a variety of ways, from underlying health conditions to injuries from accidents caused by others. The way it impacts a person, particularly one who is aging, can extend beyond physical to emotional and social aspects. This may mean reduced mobility, fewer social interactions, sleep disturbances, emotional distress, and many other issues for a person as they age with chronic pain. Combined, it leads to a diminished sense of self and well-being while hindering functional capabilities. While chronic pain issues can happen for anyone at any age, those in older age brackets find it harder to bounce back from, making the need dire for those in these circumstances to manage this pain effectively.
Types of Chronic Pain Experienced in Aging
Further adding to the complexities of chronic pain in aging, there are a variety of types of pain that one can experience. Here is a look at some of the more common types of chronic pain:
Arthritis Pain
There are many forms of arthritis, though osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are among the most commonly known, both of which can lead to joint discomfort and stiffness. Arthritis can hinder mobility and make performing daily tasks a huge challenge as one ages. A person with arthritis may be in constant pain, and as such, will experience a drastically reduced quality of life, all while their health and functionality deteriorates.
Back and Spinal Pain
Degenerative changes in the back and spine, as well as injuries from a lifetime of work or a serious car accident, also commonly cause chronic pain. In this area of the body, the persistent pain restricts movements, thereby impairing daily activities and destroying the joy in life. Additionally, an older adult with this type of chronic pain is even more susceptible to additional injuries. It can cause them to lose balance, which could lead to broken bones and added pain.
Muscle Pains
Muscle pains are quite common as people age, and generally occur from straining and overuse, though they can also be the result of an underlying health condition. Enduring this type of discomfort means that mobility is hindered, as are routine activities. A senior suffering from chronic muscle pain will have a lower quality of life and may be prone to incurring additional types of injuries as a result.
Headaches and Migraines
Older adults tend to be more likely to experience headaches and migraines as their bodies change. They may also find them more disruptive than headaches they may have had just a few years before, now impacting their ability to engage in activities or interact with others.
What makes these pains even more difficult to cope with is that they are usually dismissed as something that happens to everyone. However, the pain threshold for a person as they age may also change, making it more difficult to bear and requiring effective pain management.
Bone Pain
Aging itself causes the body to deteriorate, and older adults typically find themselves with conditions such as osteoporosis which can cause bone pain. With this persistent discomfort, mobility is often reduced. There is also a greater chance of fractures due to the weakened bones, which can mean more pain and an even longer recovery period.
Repetitive Stress and Injuries
Older adults who spent a lifetime doing manual labor may feel the pains of their efforts years down the road, even after they have retired. Others may have suffered sports injuries in their youth or injuries in car crashes. All of these types of things have the potential to contribute to chronic pain that can affect every aspect of life.
Nerve Pain
Enduring nerve pain from nerve damage, either caused by a nerve impingement or other injury, can be an exhausting endeavor. Those who suffer from nerve issues may experience tingling or numbness in various parts of their bodies. Some may feel sharp pain or a zapping sensation, which can make it difficult to move around without suffering.
Post-Surgical Pain
Older adults are typically more likely to undergo surgeries for their conditions. As they heal, they may find that pain lingers beyond the anticipated recovery period. Recovery may become slow and painful the older one gets, and with this pain, it makes rehabilitation more difficult while sabotaging one’s zest for life.
Chronic pain is a type of pain that can be incredibly frustrating for those who experience it, making them long for their younger years. In turn, this can cause emotional upset, leading to a feeling of hopelessness for those moving from their 40s into their 50s and those moving into their 60s and beyond.
Age-Related Changes Affecting Pain Perception
While it’s not something that happens to everyone as they age, pain thresholds may increase the older a person gets. However, some people may experience the opposite effect. Along with these changes, since it takes longer for recovery the older you get, this prolonged recovery period may give rise to increased periods of discomfort.
In other words, you may be more likely to experience chronic pain as an older adult than if you had the same injury or condition in your younger years.
What Happens When Chronic Pain Isn’t Properly Managed?
Whatever the reason behind chronic pain, it has a massive impact on a person’s life when it isn’t properly managed. This is true regardless of their age, though those who are older will have greater difficulties if they do not get it under control.
Reduction in Quality of Life
If you experience chronic pain, it can significantly affect your ability to participate in daily activities. From something as simple as turning a door knob to more involved tasks such as cooking dinner, it causes a reduction in overall quality of life.
Inability to Function Independently
Being unable to do the things you once did on your own can be incredibly frustrating for older adults. When you need to have someone take care of these things for you, it strips you of your independence.
Increased Psychological Impacts
Enduring chronic pain isn’t just about the physical aspects. The challenges it poses to the body can also cause psychological impacts. It’s common for those experiencing chronic pain to have anxiety and depression, largely feeling hopeless as they look ahead to a future filled with more pain.
Social Isolation
When chronic pain imposes all of its limitations, it makes it more difficult for those suffering from it to engage in social activities. Mobility issues may add complexities to the logistics of attending an event, and older adults tend to feel like a burden, imposing on others for help. As such, chronic pain as one ages can make them isolate, leading to greater loneliness.
Worsening of Underlying Conditions
If something isn’t done to manage chronic pain in aging, other underlying conditions can be exacerbated, making overall health even worse. It’s vital to find a solution through treatment rather than indefinitely endure the pain. This vicious cycle will simply continue until something is done about it.
More Frequent Need for Hospitalizations
No one ever wants to go to the hospital or have surgeries, though not properly treating chronic pain has these added consequences. Those suffering injuries or conditions through aging who don’t adequately deal with the pain are more likely to make emergency room visits and have lengthier stays in the hospital.
Additionally, some believe that chronic pain can lead to cognitive decline as one ages. Failing to address these issues can be taxing on other family members who attempt to assist their aging loved ones. Whether someone is in the midlife state or approaching senior status, the need for managing chronic pain is dire, as it can impact overall well-being and longevity.
Why Is It More Challenging to Manage Chronic Pain as One Ages?
The level of pain one experiences is subjective in and of itself, though the older a person gets, the more challenging it may be to manage chronic pain. Here is a glimpse into why that happens:
Stereotypes on Aging
While certain things are undeniably true about aging, the stereotypes that abound mean that those who complain about chronic pain are quelled by being told this is just normal for their age. That means that the aging population suffering from this persistent discomfort is being under-treated and not getting the relief they need to feel better and return to enjoying life.
Communication Challenges
Some older adults experience cognitive decline that can make it difficult for them to express themselves. Others may have sensory impairments, making it harder for them to accurately explain the pain. Healthcare providers may misinterpret this information, which can allow the chronic issue to continue.
Unwillingness to Speak Up
Even those who are not quite yet at senior status may find it hard to speak up about their pain. They may be afraid of invasive treatments or that they’re just overanalyzing the way they feel. A lot of chronic pain issues go untreated simply because people are afraid to say something.
What Can Be Done to Manage Chronic Pain in Aging?
If you or a loved one has been suffering in pain for three to six months or longer, managing chronic pain is vital for getting back into life. It’s important to note that no one thing can be done to manage pain, and it requires a multi-faceted approach based on the root cause.
Accurate Assessment of the Pain
The first step in managing chronic pain is to have it accurately assessed. It must be determined where the pain is coming from and the intensity must also be evaluated. This allows for a personalized treatment plan to be put into place to provide relief and improve the quality of life without pain.
Choosing Pain Management Techniques
Pain management, especially for chronic conditions, often involves the use of medications. Some may be anti-inflammatories, while others may provide pain relief. These can be helpful, though the best treatment plans will also involve other techniques to manage the pain. Physiotherapy, acupuncture, chiropractic care, massages, and other methods are excellent ways to improve mobility.
These techniques help strengthen muscles and promote flexibility, and they should be used in conjunction with medications. Simply taking medications only takes care of one aspect of chronic pain whereas using a combination of prescriptions and these physical techniques will bring about the best results.
Making Lifestyle Changes
As you age and work through your chronic pain, it also helps to make changes to your lifestyle that promote better health. Getting regular exercise is ideal because it will help you strengthen your muscles and joints, making it less likely that you’ll experience mobility issues.
Eating a balanced diet that gives your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive, especially plenty of calcium for strong bones, will provide additional support. Managing stress is another concern, and something few people think about when it comes to their health. Allowing stress to fester causes tension and discomfort, and by learning how to manage it, you’ll be protecting your body and your mind.
Another component of good health is getting proper sleep, which allows you to feel at your best. By making the right lifestyle changes along with getting a balanced pain treatment plan, you can stop suffering and start living.
Incorporating Assistive Tools
If you’re recovering from surgery or an injury, you might need to rely on assistive devices to help you stay mobile. Some people are ashamed to use them, even for the short term. However, if your doctors recommend them, you should follow their orders. These orthotics can reduce the stress on those painful areas while helping you keep your balance, and they may hold the key to enjoying your freedom and independence.
What Benefits Do You Get from Effective Chronic Pain Management in Aging?
Trying to get through life in pain is not the right answer, and by taking the steps to manage it, you can finally feel like yourself again. There are many benefits to be had by addressing the pain head-on rather than suffering through it every waking moment.
Improved Mobility and Speedier Recovery
Older adults, in particular, can benefit from managing chronic pain in the ways discussed above, as it allows them to improve mobility. They’re better equipped to handle injuries, surgeries, or to handle any chronic conditions. If you’re feeling down about not being able to handle simple tasks due to the pain, take the steps today to get rid of the chronic discomfort that has been bogging you down.
Regained Independence
Particularly for older adults, they are used to living life in a certain way and being on their own. Chronic pain destroys all that, requiring the need to rely on family or caregivers for things you once did yourself. Address chronic pain through a variety of therapies, and you can get back to doing things independently again.
Better Sleep
A huge issue for anyone with chronic pain is that this type of pain can greatly disrupt sleep. You might have difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep. Some pain can cause you to wake up in the middle of the night, leaving you feeling worse the next day.
As you age, quality sleep becomes even more integral to good health. Alleviate chronic pain, and you’ll have deeper sleep without sleep disturbances. You’ll be able to get that restful sleep your body needs for your physical recovery. You’ll be giving your mind what it needs for cognitive clarity, and you’ll have a better quality of life by getting the right amount of good sleep every night.
Prevent Pain from Becoming Chronic
In some cases, acute pain that is ignored can lead to a chronic condition. Through effective management of this pain, you can reduce the chances for it to become chronic over time. Being proactive is the key to nip it in the bud and gives you the tools to properly address the pain you experience without it becoming your whole life experience.
Improved Emotional Well-Being
Prolonged pain of any kind in any location of the body can quickly shift a person’s outlook. When everything you do is a source of pain, it’s easy to feel depressed about it. It’s also easy for anxiety to make you fearful of the pain that will radiate throughout your body with certain movements.
As you manage the pain, you will begin to see that through taking care of the physical issues, the mental impacts they have will soon go away. You’ll be able to feel happy and fulfilled in life once again.
Ability to Enjoy Social Engagements
Chronic pain has likely made you sit out on social events because you didn’t want to ruin everyone else’s good time or talk about your condition. When that pain is alleviated, you will be able to participate in the activities that once filled you with joy again.
By getting back to connecting with others, you’ll reduce feelings of loneliness. In turn, by filling your cup with positivity by spending time with people you like doing things you enjoy, you will continue to improve your physical and mental well-being.
What Is the Best Way to Treat Chronic Pain?
There’s no one ‘best’ way to treat chronic pain, though a variety of methods and techniques combined are usually the key to getting back to enjoying life without writhing in pain. It also depends on what has caused you to suffer such extensive chronic pain.
You should seek an evaluation to determine the cause. Whether it’s arthritis, an underlying health condition, a former injury, or even lingering pain from a recent surgery, there are ways to get pain under control that allow you to live a normal and full life.
The biggest mistake that people make when seeking chronic pain relief is just taking medications. While this can certainly help when pain is extreme, it only takes care of one part of the issue. If you want to regain your life and sense of independence, especially in your golden years, you’ll need to look at rehabilitation through physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage, and physiotherapy to help you restore mobility, flexibility, and strength.
To that end, it’s also recommended to make adjustments to your lifestyle so that medications and rehabilitative treatments have the best impact. Incorporating exercise into your day-to-day is a powerful tool, and it doesn’t mean you need to join a gym. Start by walking each day, and make it more fun by going with a friend. You’ll also want to focus on proper nutrition and hydration, as well as finding ways to relieve stress and get more restful sleep.
It might not be easy, but the road to any recovery is seldom a smooth one. Perhaps the most liberating aspect of dealing with the complexities of chronic pain in aging is that while you may feel out of control, you have much more control than you realize to take the right steps to step into the driver’s seat.
By incorporating all of these things to manage your chronic pain, you’ll have a better chance of success in taking the power back in your life, and giving it your all no matter how old or young you are.