Investigators need to conduct more research on the topic of pain and aging, asserts an editorial published in the journal Pain Medicine.
Just 1% of pain studies deal with it as it relates to aging. Chronic pain frequently goes untreated because it is viewed as a normal part of aging. More research is needed to find new ways to treat chronic pain and improve the lives of older adults, said editorial author Dr. Debra Weiner, of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Medicine.
The anticipated growth in the over-65 population between 2010 and 2030 makes it critical to find a way to treat pain, she believes. A multi-disciplinary journal, Pain Medicine is the official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. For more, go to http://www.painmed.org.
