Seniors and Chronic Pain Management in Jacksonville, FL
Chronic pain is a struggle for everyone who deals with it, but seniors are more vulnerable to it than the average adult. Wear,tear, and a decrease in activity levels in the joints and muscles can contribute to chronic pain. Additionally, up to 88% of seniors have some form of chronic pain condition. However, the main difficulty with seniors dealing with chronic pain is that many do not seek chronic pain management in Jacksonville, FL. They tend to see their pain as merely a symptom of aging and not as something they can treat.
Bodily Changes Contribute to Chronic Pain in Seniors
Joints and muscles become more rigid as you age, and calcium deposits decrease the range of motion in the joints. Your skin will also become more fragile, and your muscle movements less fluid. It can also take older people much longer to heal from injuries. These natural changes leave seniors more vulnerable to pain, in addition to accidents that cause chronic pain.
Types of Chronic Pain in Seniors
Older adults tend to suffer from muscle and joint-related pain much more than younger adults. They also tend to suffer from chronic pain conditions stemming from neurological symptoms and cancer. The most common types of these conditions found in older adults are arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, central pain syndrome (common in stroke victims), repetitive strain injury, cancer pain, depression-associated pain, and cancer pain. Many of these conditions can benefit from comprehensive chronic pain management in Jacksonville, FL, but as we said, seniors are not always willing to tell doctors that they need treatment.
Diagnosing Chronic Pain
Many older adults fear the health problems that come with age, so they hold back information about their chronic pain because they don’t want to feel vulnerable. Another possibility is that they just think this pain is something that comes with age and not something they can fix. Many choose to simply deal with it instead of trying to find a way to manage pain. Sometimes, difficulty hearing or difficulties communicating due to stroke or dementia can also place a barrier between them and effective chronic pain management in Jacksonville, FL.
Treating Seniors with Chronic Pain
Pain treatment can be more complicated with older adults due to the difficulties we mentioned above, and because seniors tend to have more adverse reactions to certain medications. Medication needs to be monitored closely to ensure that it is helping more than it harms. Many seniors take medicine for other things like diabetes and high blood pressure, so care has to be taken to make sure their prescriptions are not interacting with one another. Side effects of beneficial medication can affect an older adult more severely than a younger one.
Effective pain management is vital for maintaining quality of life as you age. Contact the experienced and compassionate physicians at Florida Pain Physicians today and find relief from your chronic pain.
