10/09/2009 - News
Chronic Pain Accelerates Disability
By: June Chen, MD
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Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for longer than would normally be expected in the course of natural healing. Chronic pain is a condition that can interfere with work, leisure, and even relationships. According to a study published in the September 009 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, people with chronic pain develop functional limitations that are typically associated with aging at much younger-than-expected ages.
Scientists from the University of California San Francisco and their colleagues analyzed information about 18,531 adults aged 50 and older who participated in the 2004 Health and Retirement study in order to evaluate the relationship between functional limitations and chronic pain. Of these study participants, 24% had chronic pain. The researchers found that the abilities of adults aged 50 to 59 who had chronic pain were more comparable to those of adults aged 80 to 89 without pain. Statistical analysis revealed that older adults with chronic pain were at a significantly higher risk of functional limitations than their pain-free peers.
Although this study cannot determine whether chronic pain causes disability or whether disability causes chronic pain, the researchers suggest that it is likely that chronic pain and disability exacerbate each other and may often be part of the same underlying process. The study does, however, highlight the importance of managing and effectively treating chronic pain in order to improve quality of life and increase the likelihood of positive aging.
Source:
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009;57:1556-1561.
Created on: 10/09/2009
Reviewed on: 10/09/2009
Reviewed on: 10/09/2009
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