Der Schmerz
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Non-opioid analgesics are frequently used to control chronic pain in elderly patients; however some of these drugs show high rates of adverse drug reactions. Among these are significant clinical problems which impede an effective and safe pain control. ⋯ Acetaminophen, metamizol and flupirtin may be recommended instead; however a shortcoming of acetaminophen in comparison to NSAIDs is its weaker action to control pain. Metamizol is still banned in some countries due to rare but potentially severe hematological side effects and flupirtin frequently causes unfavorable sedation.
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Old people's experience of pain differs markedly from that of younger people. Old people not only suffer from pain more often but also the pain is predominantly chronic in nature. In many cases older patients experience pain from more than one cause at any time due to multimorbidity. ⋯ Different dimensions of pain cannot be used variably but need to be regarded as complementing elements; however, this approach is currently not always possible to follow through in clinical practice especially with age-related illnesses, such as dementia. Currently, only the geriatric pain interview (Geriatrisches Schmerzinterview) is available as a multidimensional tool for the assessment of pain in older people. There is a clear need for more and extended research and development of tools and processes to comprehensively assess pain in older persons.
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Elderly patients with chronic pain are particularly at risk of functional limitations up to the loss of autonomy and social life. To facilitate autonomy, mobility and quality of life, physiotherapy plays an essential role in pain management. Nevertheless, programs that are specifically geared towards the needs of older patients are still uncommon. ⋯ First examples of pain management concepts for older adults demonstrate the positive results of activating therapy. Additionally, this article provides insights into barriers and resources of affected patients and all actors involved. However, physiotherapeutic treatment for aged chronic pain patients in Germany still shows considerable shortcomings but also offers an exciting challenge for the future.
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Multicenter Study
[Patients with pain in outpatient care : A nationwide cross-sectional survey with path model].
There is limited knowledge on the degree of pain and pain-related impairments in home care clients. This study was carried out to provide data on the prevalence of pain and pain-related impairments in home care patients and to investigate the impact on activities of daily living and on classification into the three levels of care as defined by the statutory German long-term care insurance. ⋯ Even though the majority of home care clients in this representative study suffered from pain, the degree of pain intensity only becomes an issue in home care if it concurs with impairments in daily living and a corresponding classification to higher levels of care dependency. These findings suggest that pain and pain management should receive more attention in home care, irrespective of observable impairments in daily living. In practice, nurses in home care services should regularly assess the level of pain intensity among home care clients and the results of these regular pain assessments should be taken into account for the identification of individual care needs.
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Systematic reviews of psychosocial assessment and effectiveness of psychotherapy for chronic pain syndromes in older patients are rare. However, it is of particular importance to consider the psychosocial aspects of elderly people with chronic pain. This narrative review describes recommended German-language assessments of the psychosocial dimensions of pain and summarizes existing studies of psychological therapy approaches for chronic pain in old age. ⋯ However, there is often a lack of supporting documentation about important result parameters (e.g., quality of life, functioning in everyday life, or pain acceptance). Overall, chronic pain in elderly people requires a biopsychosocial-spiritual model of pain. More attention should be given in research and daily practice to religiosity/spirituality as a possible means of coping, while mindfulness- and acceptance-based therapies should be further explored.