RESEARCH PAPER
The problem of pain in old age
 
More details
Hide details
1
Non-Public Health Care Institution ‘DAR’, Jarosław, Poland
 
2
Health Care Institute, State School of Higher Vocational and Economic Education, Jarosław, Poland
 
3
Neurology Department, Medical Care Centre in Jarosław, Poland
 
4
Department of Clinical Endoscopy, Institute of Rural Health, Lublin, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Małgorzata Dziechciaż   

Non-Public Health Care Institution ‘DAR’, Jarosław, Poland
 
 
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2013;20(Special Issue 1):35-38
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The elderly are more susceptible to feeling pain than young people. Pain is described as a complex, subjective feeling causing significant limitation of physical, psychical and social functioning. In the literature, there are many classifications of pain. Considering the duration, pain may be divided into acute and chronic. Acute pain does not depend on age and lasts less than three months whereas chronic pain is more frequent with the elderly and lasts more than three months. It can be divided into nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Involutional changes progressing in the organism of an old person, combined with numerous chronic diseases occurring in old age, cause approx. 85% of the elderly to suffer from pain. Among the diseases with concurring pain, the first are diseases of the locomotor system and include: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Moreover, pain is an intrinsic part of malignant cancer, neuralgia shingles, and diabetic neuropathy. Pain also conceals depression and the depression intensifies the feeling of pain. Due to frequent cognitive disorders and depression, the measurement of pain in the elderly is difficult, it thus requires vast experience. To assess the pain intensity, subjective scales are used, e.g. verbal scale, score scale. To assess the qualitative and quantitative scales the following questionnaires are used: McGill-Melzak Pain Questionnaire and the Pain Assessment Form. Significant for pain assessment with people diagnosed with dementia are objective pain symptoms, namely: worsening appetite, gnashing teeth, grimaces. Pain treatment should be multimodal and include usage of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. Pharmacology is the basis for pain treatment in people of old age, which should be used in the least invasive way, starting with small dosages. The pain-relieving medicine of first choice is paracetamol. In the pharmacological treatment of old people there are also non-opioid pain relieving medicine, opioids and supportive medicine. Among non-pharmacological treatments are rehabilitation and psychological therapy. In pain treatment, awareness among the elderly, their families and carers, and edical staff that the pain is not an attribute of old age; thus, it can be correctly diagnosed and treated.
 
REFERENCES (26)
1.
Wordliczek J, Dobrogowski J. Analgesic Pain Treatment. In: Grodzki T, Kocemba J, Skalska A (eds.). Geriatrics with elements of general gerontology. Course book for doctors and students. Via Medica, Gdańsk 2007.
 
2.
Pyszkowska J. Pathomechanism of pain and the essence of total suffering. In: De Walden- Gałuszko K, Kopacz A (eds.). Nursing of hospice and palliative care. Wydawnictwo Lekarskie PZWL, Warszawa 2005.
 
3.
Seemann H. Care of patients with chronic pain. In: Kaplun A. (eds.). Promoting health in chronic conditions. Oficyna Wydawnicza Instytutu Medycyny Pracy, Łódź 1997.
 
4.
Muller A. Physiology of pain. In: Saint – Maurice C, Muller A, Meynadier J. Pain, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Gebethner ex S-ka, Warszawa 1998.
 
5.
Temporal Michael T. Pain treatment. In: Rosenthal T, Naughton B,Williams M. Geriatrics. Wydawnictwo Czelej, Lublin 2009.
 
6.
Korzeniowska K, Szałek E. Ból. Modern pharmacology 2010; 3: 9–10.
 
7.
Styczyński T. Advances in treatment of spondyloarthritis. Rheumatology 2013; 51(6): 429–436.
 
8.
Pyszkowska J. Possibilities to assess chronic pain. Objective approach to scoring using modified pain assessment questionnaire. Psycho oncology. 1999;4: 13–27.
 
9.
Pergolizzi1 J, Böger RH, Budd K, Dahan A, Erdine S, Hans G, Kress HG, Langford R, Likar R, Raffa RB, Sacerdote P. Opioids and treatment in severe chronic pain with elders. Palliative medicine in practice 2009; 3(1): 40–66.
 
10.
Gasik R, Styczyński T. Specifics of pharmacological treatment of back pains in people of old age. Polski Merkuliusz lekarski 2006; 21(124): 394 -397.
 
11.
Kołodziej W. Bio psycho social functioning of people in old age and social stereotypes and prejudice concerning ageing and old age. In: Nowicka A (eds.). Selected problems of people in old age. Oficyna Wydawnicza Impuls, Kraków 2006.
 
12.
Doroszkiewicz H, Bień B. The profile of behaviour of people in old age struggling with pain of locomotor system. The nursing problems 2010; 18(3): 260–265.
 
13.
Dziechciaż M, Płaszewska-Żywko L, Guty E. Most common diseases of old age in population of rural areas. In: Talarska D, Wieczorowska-Tobis K. Man of old age in modern society. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Medycznego im Karola Marcinkowskiego w Poznaniu, Poznań 2009.
 
14.
Jasik A, Marcinowska-Suchowierska E. Joint pains of people in old age. Progress in Medicine 2011; 5: 402–409.
 
15.
Galus K. Osteoporoza. In: Grodzki T, Kocemba J, Skalska A (eds.). Geriatrics with elements of general gerontology. Course book for doctors and students. Via Medica, Gdańsk 2007.
 
16.
Głuszko P. Rheumatic diseases. W: Grodzki T., Kocemba J., Skalska A. (eds.). Geriatrics with elements of general gerontology. Course book for doctors and students. Via Medica, Gdańsk 2007.
 
17.
Głuszko P. Diseases of Joint degeneration. In: Grodzki T, Kocemba J, Skalska A (eds.). Geriatrics with elements of general gerontology. Course book for doctors and students. Via Medica, Gdańsk 2007.
 
18.
Dudek D, Zięba A, Siwek M, Wróbel A. Depression. In: Grodzki T, Kocemba J, Skalska A (eds.). Geriatrics with elements of general gerontology. Course book for doctors and students. Via Medica, Gdańsk 2007.
 
19.
Chodorowski Z. Main masks of depression of patients in old age. Advances of Psychiatry and Neurology 1998; 7(6): 41–46.
 
20.
 
21.
 
22.
Wieczorowska -Tobis K. Palliative medicine and care at the end of life of the elders. Geriatrics 2009; 3: 133–138.
 
23.
Wieczorowska-Tobis K, Rajska-Neumann A. Pain as the cause of cognitive function disorders of people in old age. Geriatrics 2010; 4: 292–294.
 
24.
Dobrogowski JL, Kocot-Kępska M, Przeklasa Muszyńska A. Usage of oxycodone with naloxone (Targin) with chronic pain patient – case study. Palliative medicine 2001; 5(3): 123–128.
 
25.
Niedziałek D, Tłustochowicz W. Pain treatment of rheumatic diseases. Progress in Medicine 2012; 2: 109–114.
 
26.
Chmara E, Cieślewicz A. Non-pharmacological methods of pain treatment. Contemporary Pharmacy 2010; 3: 15–19.
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top