According to a study, a large percentage of older adults suffer from some sort of chronic pain. Often it goes under treated because seniors fail to recognize that it’s not just a normal part of aging. Allowing chronic pain to affect their activities can have a much greater impact on seniors, since it increases their risk of falling by as much as 50%. Here are some strategies that seniors and their caregivers can use to cope with the pain they experience, and ensure that they get appropriate attention from a medical professional.

1. Keep a pain journal – using a calendar or day planner to rate the level of pain felt each day creates a document of the consistency and frequency of the pain and can help identify other factors that might contribute to it. Seniors can rate their pain on a scale from 1 to 10 in their journal

2. Be persistent – doctors don’t always take a senior’s complaint of pain seriously. Some may feel that the older adult is simply complaining, others may not think it’s as serious because some seniors downplay their experiences. Seniors suffering from chronic pain need to be honest, and persistent to make their doctor understand

3. Understand triggers – if specific activities make the pain worse or physical temperatures outdoors, seniors should record this and adjust their activities to reduce the instances

4. Get on with life – chronic pain can cause seniors to withdraw and avoid all activity. They should continue with activities that they enjoy and maintain a physical routine

Via: Chronic Pain Support

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