Pain treatment in old age: special features and recommendations

Abstract

For geriatric patients with chronic pain, acomprehensive well-coordinated pain management is pivotal to ensure the best possible pain relief and to minimize as far as possible preventable negative side effects of treatment. Description of the difficulties in pain management of geriatric patients with respect to general basic rules that are worth paying attention to and presentation of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options. This article describes the special features of pain management in older patients and gives recommendations on the use of analgesics and potential drug interactions in geriatric patients with organ dysfunction. Furthermore, individual substance groups are described with respect to their use in geriatric patients based on the recent literature. The aim of an individualized pain treatment in older and multimorbid patients is the relief of pain to an appropriate level, preservation of mobility, self-reliance and autonomy of each individual. The ability to participate in social activities as well as improvement in the quality of life need to be the focus of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment.