Background: Chronic pain occurs in 30% of older adults. This prevalence rate is expected to increase, given the growth in the older adult population and the associated growth of chronic conditions contributing to pain. No population-based studies have provided detailed, longitudinal information on the experience of chronic pain in older adults; the pharmacological and nonpharmacological strategies that older adults use to manage their chronic pain; and the effect of chronic pain on patient-reported outcomes.
Objectives: This article aims to describe the protocol for a population-based, longitudinal study focused on understanding the experience of chronic pain in older adults. The objectives are to determine the prevalence and characteristics of chronic pain; identify the pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain treatments used; evaluate for longitudinal differences in biopsychosocial factors; and examine how pain types and pain trajectories affect important patient-reported outcomes. Also included are the results of a pilot study.
Methods: A population-based sample of approximately 1,888 older adults will be recruited from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago's AmeriSpeak Panel to complete surveys at three waves: enrollment (Wave 1), 6 months (Wave 2), and 12 months (Wave 3). To determine the feasibility, a pilot test of the enrollment survey was conducted among 123 older adults.
Results: In the pilot study, older adults with chronic pain reported a range of pain conditions, with osteoarthritis being the most common. Participants reported an array of pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain strategies. Compared to participants without chronic pain, those with chronic pain reported lower physical and cognitive function and poorer quality of life. Data collection for the primary, longitudinal study is ongoing.
Discussion: This project will be the first longitudinal population-based study to examine the experience and overall effect of chronic pain in older adults. Pilot study results provide evidence of the feasibility of study methods. Ultimately, this work will inform the development of tailored interventions for older patients targeted to decrease pain and improve function and quality of life.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000683 | DOI Listing |
J Neurosurg Case Lessons
January 2025
Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.
Background: Kyphotic spinal deformity is a complication of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). In rare cases, particularly in obese patients, the deformity might extend to the cervicothoracic spine, resulting in a severe "chin-on-abdomen" deformity. This condition severely impairs quality of life by affecting gaze, swallowing, and causing chronic pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHarv Rev Psychiatry
January 2025
From McLean Hospital (Drs. Bailey and McHugh, and Mss. Bichon and Friree Ford), Belmont, MA; Harvard Medical School (Drs. Bailey and McHugh); Brandeis University (Ms. Lesser).
Background: Pain catastrophizing, or the interpretation of pain as unbearable or intolerable, can increase pain-related anxiety and severity. High levels of pain catastrophizing have also been linked to substance use, particularly for substances with analgesic properties. Importantly, behavioral treatments can reduce pain catastrophizing, making them promising interventions for mitigating pain-related substance use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Med Chil
May 2024
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
Early recognition of acute kidney injury is essential to prevent progression to chronic kidney disease. We present the case of a 19-year-old man with multiple emergency department visits for fatigue, abdominal pain, and intermittent dark urine. Upon admission, he had pancytopenia with elements suggestive of hemolysis and acute kidney injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Med Chil
July 2024
Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
Unlabelled: Fibromyalgia is a syndrome of widespread chronic pain, associated with fatigue, sleep disorders, and a wide range of additional symptoms, among which balance disorders are a common complaint.
Aim: To determine a correlation between balance disorders and severity of fibromyalgia.
Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pain Treatment Unit of the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile.
Rev Med Chil
July 2024
Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile.
Unlabelled: Endometriosis is a chronic disease characterized by the growth of the endometrium outside the uterine cavity. In response to estradiol, this tissue begins to proliferate and grow, forming lesions and nodules, which can invade the tissues, causing pelvic pain and infertility. The most widely used pharmacological treatment is progesterone, which manages to reduce symptoms, but approximately one-third of patients develop resistance to treatment.
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