• Chun-Ting Liu, Bei-Yu Wu, Yung-Hsiang Chen, and Ming-Yen Tsai.
• Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, Research Center for Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Chinese Medicine, Dali Branch, Jen-Ai Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
• Pain Manag Nurs. 2022 Aug 1; 23 (4): 524-531.

BackgroundAlthough rural communities are home to a higher proportion of older residents, they provide fewer healthcare services than do urban core communities. Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is often associated with reduced daily activity and quality of life in older adults, particularly those in rural areas.AimsThis study investigated the pain experiences and coping strategies in rural older adults with MSK pain in Taiwan.MethodsA structured questionnaire was used to collect data from rural older adults with chronic MSK pain in mountainous areas of Taiwan.ResultsIn total, 55 rural older adults were enrolled in this study. The most common pain sites were the low back and knees. The main cause of pain was osteoarthritis. Three quarters of the participants suffered from moderate to severe chronic MSK pain on average. The results revealed that behavioral strategies were used more often than cognitive strategies. Regarding behavioral strategies, the most common non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic pain coping strategies were to rest and to take Chinese medicine, respectively. The most common cognitive strategy for pain coping was to talk to others.ConclusionsThe findings suggested that pain management for chronic MSK pain in rural older adults was inadequate in mountainous areas of Taiwan. Most rural older adults used multiple coping strategies to deal with their pain, and behavioral strategies were favored over cognitive strategies.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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