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Physiotherapy Pain Management
Current research suggests that as high as 75% of people over the age of 65 report at least some persistent pain, and this rate is considerably higher for people who are in assisted living or residential aged care facilities.
Older people can be under-treated for pain because of misconceptions about ageing and pain.
It is well documented that older adults are often less likely to report pain as they normalise their pain experience and attribute it to a natural part of ageing. Other reasons for under-reporting pain include communication deficits and cognitive impairments, a perception of being a nuisance and fear that pain signals disease progression, which could mean more medications or further medical procedures.
Guide physiotherapists are experts at having conversations with older adults about their pain experience.
They also recognise that there are other ways to identify that a person is potentially in pain. These can include other symptoms such as depression and anxiety, sleep disturbance and weight loss. As well as non-verbal pain indicators such as guarding, agitation, facial expression and gait changes.
Common causes of pain in older people which can be treated by a physiotherapist include:
arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
disc degeneration
musculoskeletal injuries
cancer
fibromyalgia
pressure injuries
contractures
circulatory problems
Impacts of pain on older people
Pain can have a negative impact on an older person’s quality of life, contributing to:
impaired mobility or immobility
muscle loss
falls risk and incidence
poor nutritional intake
depression and anxiety
social isolation
sleep disturbances
avoidance of everyday activities
reduced community participation
confusion and delirium
fatigue
pulmonary complications
increased mortality
Guide Healthcare’s home care physiotherapists can assist older people in pain by prescribing movement-based and strengthening exercises, education on pain and the pain experience, explore ways to modify activities of daily living, prescribe assistive, mobility and transfer aids, building improved confidence, moving the focus away from pain towards function and offering reassurance and social supports.
Contact us.
General Enquiries
admin@guidehealthcare.com.au
02 9663 0387