Chronic Pain Management in the Elderly

Abstract

Chronic pain is extremely prevalent in older adults and is associated with significant morbidity, including limited mobility, social isolation, and depressed mood. Pain is defined by a biopsychosocial model highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, including multimodal medications, selected interventions, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and psychological treatments. In this narrative review, the authors highlight the use of these approaches in older adults with specific attention paid to considerations unique to aging, including alterations in drug metabolism, avoidance of polypharmacy, and physiologic changes predisposing to painful conditions.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Multidisciplinary treatment; Opioids; Polypharmacy.