Many chronic pain patients avoid physical activities that they are actually capable of doing, researchers have found. Changing thought patterns may help halt a downward pain spiral, they say.
A high-dose painkiller prescription often accompanies hospital patients upon discharge to a skilled nursing facility. The result is a complex medication management challenge for care providers, investigators say.
Treatment should start with low-risk, non-invasive strategies and slowly introduce pain medications, including opioids as needed, say Mayo Clinic geriatricians.
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Painkillers are frequently prescribed to manage chronic pain that disrupts sleep. But research on the use of opioid drugs for aiding sleep is limited and existing studies rarely consider side effects.
Researchers: Committed couples who don’t cohabitate will complicate caregiving and long-term care decision-making … Psychological interventions can reduce chronic pain and make older adults better at coping … It’s not always risky if seniors get frisky. A new study finds education improves LTC nurses’ attitudes about resident sexuality.
Chronic pain is a significant public health problem in the United States that is both common and costly. A significant barrier to the optimal diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain is a lack of knowledge regarding the underlying causes of chronic pain and the optimal use of analgesic compounds. This activity uses an interactive format to update clinicians on the pathophysiology of chronic pain and the mechanisms of action of common classes of analgesic therapies.
Deep brain stimulation, a procedure used to treat Parkinson’s, epilepsy and chronic pain, enhanced the memory of epilepsy patients with memory problems, a small study has found. Neurologists say this result “breaks new ground” in exploratory treatments for Alzheimer’s and dementia.
