Comfort Keepers Senior Home Care Services in Anchorage, Fairbanks, & Wasilla, AK is Helping Older Adults Deal With Chronic Pain

Senior home care services providers in Anchorage, AK discuss what you can do to help your senior loved one deal with the pain 

Senior home care services providers know that it is an unspoken belief with many people that chronic pain comes with age. The unfortunate fact is that for many people, it does. Although chronic pain is difficult to treat and may result in a senior needing home care assistance to get through the day, hope is on the horizon and medical advancements are made every day.

As each of us ages, we become increasingly weaker and that is a completely normal process. However, weakness can mean pain that is difficult to treat. The most common pain amongst people 65 and older includes osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal, neuropathic, and joint pain.

Senior home care services providers warn that if your loved one is suffering from any one of these, it may be getting increasingly difficult for them to maintain independence. Most often, certain aspects of their lives may start suffering. They may begin neglecting their hygiene and grooming. They may also be having a hard time keeping up with housekeeping and even living in an unsafe, cluttered and dirty environment.

You may be wondering about how to tell if your loved one does in fact have chronic pain. The major difference between chronic and acute pain is that acute pain is caused by a particular event, often sudden, and it is very sharp and concentrated. On the other hand, chronic pain is most often not so intense, but it must last for longer than six months.

Most of the time, chronic pain is caused by a certain illness or injury but sticks around long after. Seniors experienced chronic pain from headaches, arthritis, osteoporosis, nerve damage, fibromyalgia, and back problems.

The good news is that there are a number of things seniors can do to help manage chronic pain and even eliminate it altogether.

Senior home care services say that an active lifestyle is a senior's best chance of fighting chronic pain. This is because much of chronic pain is actually caused by inactivity. The more sedentary we become, the more muscle mass we lose and our bodies are less able to effectively deal with the stress of daily living. For many seniors, an active lifestyle is difficult to accomplish, and it may be a good idea to start thinking about how do caregiver can help your loved one improve their current way of life.

Medication is always an option for chronic pain, and depending on the type of pain your loved one is experiencing, their doctor will prescribe an appropriate medication regime. Many people may be troubled by the idea of taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication over a long period of time, but it is important to keep in mind the effect that chronic pain can have on a person's psyche. Sometimes it may be more beneficial to take medication that may be harmful in other ways then watch a chronic pain get worse over time.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, otherwise known as TENS, has become popular in recent years. The general gist of this treatment is that trained professionals will treat your loved one with low voltage electricity, helping stimulate muscles and nerves. There are no side effects to this treatment and it is considered a safer alternative to prescription medication. However, it does not work on everyone.

Massage therapy and chiropractic treatments are also an option for seniors with less acute pain. Overall senior home care services providers say that it is important to reduce stress levels as stress can negatively impact both chronic pain and your loved one's mood.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/vicky-law/simple-ways-to-deal-with-chronic-pain_b_12962436.html

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/acute-vs-chronic-pain