Chronic pain is considered a serious medical problem. In seniors it can debilitate a patient and create other medical problems, complicating the situation and creating worsening prognosis and outcomes. The condition often leads to complications beyond your physical symptoms, such as new or worsened depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.

According to the CDC, almost 40 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected by some version of chronic pain. Females are affected more than males. It’s the most common reason someone seeks out medical attention. Mobility, depression, and insomnia are three common problems that occur in chronic pain patients.

Often in seniors we care for, chronic pain causes a lack of mobility creating issues such as high fall risk and muscle weakness from disuse. For these problems physical therapy and occupational therapy are important to implement early on, to prevent issues like hip fractures and irreversible weakness.

Depression is another frequent issue that occurs with chronic pain. When there is no hope for improvement and a reduction in someone’s independent abilities, it frequently causes a depressed mood. Fortunately, there are many anti-depressant medications and sometimes these medications can also help with masking the pain. Side effects can include drowsiness, small amount of weight gain, and reduced libido.

Insomnia is a frequent problem in patients with chronic pain. Low back pain like spinal stenosis is a frequent cause of insomnia, as positioning causes acute intense pain, waking the person up from a deep sleep. It’s often very difficult to get in a position even to fall asleep. There are various sleep remedies that can help but usually reducing the pain level is the main focus on improving sleep.

There are various medications that help with chronic pain. Over-the-counter medications include acetaminophen and ibuprofen. This can be very helpful with mild to moderate pain. There are potential side effects based on where these medications are metabolized in the body. Otherwise, both are very well tolerated.

Cox-2 inhibitors, anti-depressants, anti-seizure medication, and opioids are other options for medication management.

The surgical options depend on what the exact etiology is causing the pain. Seniors with high-risk medical problems could prohibit them from having a needed procedure. Other less invasive procedures include joint injections, epidural injections, and radiofrequency procedures.

No two chronic pain patients are alike and require compassion, care, and a proper treatment plan based on their physician’s and specialist’s recommendations.

Hansa Medical Groupe has offices at 5250 Old Orchard Road, Suite 300, in Skokie, and in Chicago, 847-920-0902, hansamedicalgroupe.com.