As our bodies age in later life, things begin to slowly but surely break down. You may find that more medications begin to enter your day-to-day life. Perhaps even more therapies may look to aid in relieving nagging aches and pains. That is why taking a preventive lifestyle towards the natural process of aging can help avoid the myth. Pain is a foregone part of growing older.

Here, it may be beneficial to build solid relationships with caregivers or pain specialists to explore your options. Medications, devices and physical therapy – are effective ways to manage pain later in life. Jax Spine & Pain Centers is here to help. We believe how you feel matters.

Stats on Chronic Pain and Older Populations:

• Pain is a very common problem for older persons (ie, those age 65 and over). That is persistent pain affecting more than 50% of such individuals persons living in the community setting. More than 80% of those living are in nursing homes.
• There is a greater prevalence rate of chronic medical comorbidities in later adulthood. However, the most frequent pain complaints among elderly patients are osteoarthritic back pain. This is especially in the low back or neck (around 65%). Musculoskeletal pain (around 40%), peripheral neuropathic pain (typically due to diabetes or postherpetic neuralgia, 35%), and chronic joint pain (15% to 25%) are among the other complaints.
• 75% of people age 65 or older have two or more chronic conditions—such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic lung disease, or arthritis.
• Approximately 30% to 50% of people with dementia are likely to also experience chronic pain.
• Older persons with dementia or communication problems are even more at risk of under-treatment of pain, due to difficulties communicating their pain. They are known to receive fewer analgesics than others of similar age and pathology.
• Individuals with chronic pain had on average a 9.2% faster memory decline and a 7.7% faster increase in dementia probability.
• Among elderly veterans, 50% report suffering from chronic pain. In a survey, approximately 65% percent of US Veterans reported having pain in the three months prior to being surveyed. Approximately 9% of those Vets classified as having severe pain. Severe pain was 40% greater in veterans than non-veterans, especially among those who served in recent conflicts.
• Interestingly, older military veterans who were not prescribed opioids were shown to have improved pain intensity. Now this was over time… than those who were prescribed opioids.

Chronic Pain Is Not a Normal Part of Aging