This week involved learning new things. I learned several new aspects in managing intractable back pain and therapeutic interventions among the elderly. For pain management to be effective in elderly patients, appropriate skills in the assessment are essential, acknowledge the importance a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, and understand pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic methods to managing pain (Wong, 2017). Although drugs may present the risk of adverse response, pharmacologic methods are the primary method of pain management. A very important thing learned is that older patients can be more sensitive to analgesics; hence a lesser dosage can be effective compared to the dosages administered to people who are younger (Wong, 2017). I also noted that adjuvant drugs are, in most cases, used to manage pain in elderly patients experiencing persistent pain. Some of these drugs were made for other uses, but they have proved to be effective in managing some kinds of pain. Strategies used in managing intractable back pain among elderly patients ought to be sensitive to aspects such as culture, ethnicity, values, and beliefs of elderly patients as well as their families.
Although analgesics are considered a first-line treatment for the elderly suffering from prolonged back pain, they sometimes need other alternative interventions to manage the pain and get back their function. Evidence shows that some of the conservative pain management methods can be beneficial to elderly patients with back pain. I encountered two elderly patients experiencing back pain who had decided to receive an alternative treatment method known as Tai Chai alongside pain medication. Although the efficiency of different physiotherapy strategies in managing back pain in the elderly is unclear, some studies indicate that Tai Chi is effective compared to stretching (Wong, 2017). Tai Chi is a mind and body exercise intervention that can improve balance, enhance physical function, and strengthen lower limbs. The therapy also improves cognitive performance, which can be affected by back pain when compared to the usual back pain treatment.
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References
Wong, A. Y., Karppinen, J., & Samartzis, D. (2017). Low back pain in older adults: Risk factors, management options and future directions. Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders , 12 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13013-017-0121-3
