BACKGROUND: Reports indicate that characteristics of older adults with chronic pain may be different than those of younger persons. OBJECTIVE: To study the pain characteristics of older patients presenting to a tertiary pain clinic for the first time. METHODS: Age, sex and relative contributions of biomedical versus psychosocial variables contributing to chronic pain were investigated in patients 65 years of age and older, in comparison with younger patients, from a sample of 1242 consecutive new patients attending a tertiary care pain clinic. The presence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision somatoform pain disorders were defined, using an explicated method of ascertaining the biomedical and psychological variables underlying the pain complaints. RESULTS: The older patients (14.7% of the total sample) had relatively more physical problems (concordant with their complaints) but fewer psychological factors contributing to disability than the younger pain patients. Musculoskeletal and neuropathic disorders affected 40.7% and 35.2% of the older patients, respectively, while several patients had more than one painful disorder. Musculoskeletal problems were more prevalent in the women, and neuropathic problems were more prevalent in the men. CONCLUSIONS: The older pain patients are a distinct group. Factors affecting the delayed presentation of older pain patients to the pain clinic and limitations of the present study are discussed.
BACKGROUND: Reports indicate that characteristics of older adults with chronic pain may be different than those of younger persons. OBJECTIVE: To study the pain characteristics of older patients presenting to a tertiary pain clinic for the first time. METHODS: Age, sex and relative contributions of biomedical versus psychosocial variables contributing to chronic pain were investigated in patients 65 years of age and older, in comparison with younger patients, from a sample of 1242 consecutive new patients attending a tertiary care pain clinic. The presence of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision somatoform pain disorders were defined, using an explicated method of ascertaining the biomedical and psychological variables underlying the pain complaints. RESULTS: The older patients (14.7% of the total sample) had relatively more physical problems (concordant with their complaints) but fewer psychological factors contributing to disability than the younger painpatients. Musculoskeletal and neuropathic disorders affected 40.7% and 35.2% of the older patients, respectively, while several patients had more than one painful disorder. Musculoskeletal problems were more prevalent in the women, and neuropathic problems were more prevalent in the men. CONCLUSIONS: The older painpatients are a distinct group. Factors affecting the delayed presentation of older painpatients to the pain clinic and limitations of the present study are discussed.
Authors: A Mailis-Gagnon; B Yegneswaran; K Nicholson; S F Lakha; M Papagapiou; A J Steiman; D Ng; T Cohodarevic; M Umana; M Zurowski Journal: Pain Res Manag Date: 2007 Impact factor: 3.037
Authors: A Mailis-Gagnon; B Yegneswaran; S F Lakha; K Nicholson; A J Steiman; D Ng; M Papagapiou; M Umana; T Cohodarevic; M Zurowski Journal: Pain Res Manag Date: 2007 Impact factor: 3.037
Authors: Mark R Jones; Ken P Ehrhardt; Juan G Ripoll; Bharat Sharma; Ira W Padnos; Rachel J Kaye; Alan D Kaye Journal: Curr Pain Headache Rep Date: 2016-04
Authors: Kelly Kenzik; Maria Pisu; Shelley A Johns; Tamara Baker; Robert A Oster; Elizabeth Kvale; Mona N Fouad; Michelle Y Martin Journal: Pain Med Date: 2015-03-20 Impact factor: 3.750
Authors: Aron S Buchman; Raj C Shah; Sue E Leurgans; Patricia A Boyle; Robert S Wilson; David A Bennett Journal: Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) Date: 2010-09 Impact factor: 4.794
Authors: M Noll-Hussong; H Glaesmer; S Herberger; K Bernardy; C Schönfeldt-Lecuona; A Lukas; H Guendel; T Nikolaus Journal: Z Gerontol Geriatr Date: 2012-07 Impact factor: 1.281
Authors: Jennifer Maria Nelli; Keith Nicholson; S Fatima Lakha; Ada F Louffat; Luis Chapparo; Julio C Furlan; Julio Furlan; Angela Mailis-Gagnon Journal: Pain Res Manag Date: 2012 Mar-Apr Impact factor: 3.037
Authors: S Duke Han; Aron S Buchman; Konstantinos Arfanakis; Debra A Fleischman; David A Bennett Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2012-11-05 Impact factor: 3.485
Authors: Xiao-Rong Wang; Timothy C Y Kwok; James F Griffith; Blanche Wai Man Yu; Jason C S Leung; Yì Xiáng J Wáng Journal: Ann Transl Med Date: 2019-09