News

/News

Medical pot use increasing in the elderly

2018-11-02T15:08:04-04:00

Ida Ruggiero, an opinionated great-grandma, remembered the deep embarrassment that crept over her when she told each of her five adult children her news. Ruggiero, 81, was using weed, twice a day. With her doctor’s permission, of course. Yes, the same substance that she had sternly warned them not to try when they were teens growing up in a middle-class home in South Jersey in the ‘60s. “I used to threaten that I would beat them,” Ruggiero, a former school board member, said a few hours after she had popped a piece of a cannabis lozenge. None of her now-adult children [...]

Medical pot use increasing in the elderly2018-11-02T15:08:04-04:00

New technology changes the way pain sufferers are treated

2018-11-02T15:00:51-04:00

A new mobile phone app allows pain sufferers, who have difficulty communicating, the ability to raise the alarm through facial recognition technology. With 80 percent of aged care residents living with some form of pain or another, the technology now allows those in agony to get assistance when they are struggling to make themselves understood. The PainChek App has been rolled out to 20 aged care facilities across Australia. Article by Tom Livingston, Associate Producer, 9news.com.au Click here to see full article and video

New technology changes the way pain sufferers are treated2018-11-02T15:00:51-04:00

GSA Publication -An interdisciplinary look at labeling changes to OTC analgesics and the implications for patient care

2018-09-26T17:17:38-04:00

The use of over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and OTC analgesics in particular, poses challenges in older adult populations. According to the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, 93% of adults in the United States prefer to treat their minor ailments with OTC medicines before seeking care from a health care provider.2 Furthermore, adults 65 years of age and older use more prescription and OTC medications than any other demographic group, and they account for 30% of OTC medication use in the United States.3,4 Older adults are significantly more likely to experience an adverse drug reaction than younger adults, with a reported 61.5% of [...]

GSA Publication -An interdisciplinary look at labeling changes to OTC analgesics and the implications for patient care2018-09-26T17:17:38-04:00

Pain Intensity, Disability, and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: Does Age Matter?

2018-09-26T16:58:29-04:00

OBJECTIVE: Nonspecific chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a frequent medical condition among middle-aged and older adults. Its detrimental consequences for functional ability and quality of life are well known. However, less is known about associations of chronological age with disability and well-being among CLBP patients. Coping with pain may be harder with advancing age due to additional age-associated losses of physical, sensory, and other resources, resulting in higher disability and lower quality of life. Alternatively, older patients may feel less impaired and report higher quality of life than younger patients because the experience of chronic pain may be better [...]

Pain Intensity, Disability, and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: Does Age Matter?2018-09-26T16:58:29-04:00

Effect of Problem-Solving Therapy Versus Supportive Management in Older Adults with Low Back Pain and Depression While on Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy.

2018-09-26T16:50:41-04:00

OBJECTIVE: Testing stepped-care approaches that address both depression and low back pain are needed to optimize outcomes in older adults. METHODS: This university-based late-life depression research center assessed 227 adults aged ≥ 60 years with chronic low back pain and depression. In Phase 1 participants received 6 weeks of low-dose venlafaxine (≤150 mg/day). Nonresponders were randomized to 10 weeks of high-dose venlafaxine (up to 300 mg/day) plus problem-solving therapy (PST) or high-dose venlafaxine with supportive management. Definition of response was 2 weeks of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 ≤ 5 and ≥30% pain reduction on a numeric rating scale. Function was measured with the Short Physical Performance Battery [...]

Effect of Problem-Solving Therapy Versus Supportive Management in Older Adults with Low Back Pain and Depression While on Antidepressant Pharmacotherapy.2018-09-26T16:50:41-04:00

A Mobile Health Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH) in Older Adults With Obesity: Protocol for the MORPH Trial.

2018-09-26T20:13:17-04:00

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is a complex, age-related health issue that affects both physical functioning and quality of life. Because the impact of chronic pain is worsened by obesity and inactivity, nonpharmacological interventions that promote movement, reduce sitting, and aid in weight loss are needed to help manage pain symptoms among older adults with chronic pain. OBJECTIVE: The Mobile Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH) pilot trial aims to develop and test the feasibility and acceptability of a novel, patient-centered intervention to reduce chronic pain and improve physical functioning in older adults, leveraging the combination of telecoaching and individually [...]

A Mobile Health Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health (MORPH) in Older Adults With Obesity: Protocol for the MORPH Trial.2018-09-26T20:13:17-04:00

Developing mHealth Applications for Older Adults with Pain: Seek Out the Stakeholders!

2018-09-26T20:12:14-04:00

The number of older adults living with chronic pain is significant [1,2]. As the population continues to age, this number is likely to increase [3]. Practices surrounding pain management are varied and include pharmacotherapies (e.g., opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, anticonvulsants), psychotherapy, and other supportive, complementary treatments such as physical therapy, acupuncture, and massage. Given the substantial number of aging adults living with chronic pain, rising health care costs, and a shortage of caregivers to help care for these individuals, many experts have asked whether emerging technologies, in particular mobile health (mHealth) devices, can help to address these important and related challenges [...]

Developing mHealth Applications for Older Adults with Pain: Seek Out the Stakeholders!2018-09-26T20:12:14-04:00

Oral Versus Topical Diclofenac Sodium in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

2018-09-26T20:11:02-04:00

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of joint pain in the United States and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), such as Diclofenac sodium, which is currently available in two main routes of administration; oral and topical distribution have been established as one of the standard treatments for OA. Generally, oral NSAIDs are well tolerated; however our narrative review suggests that the topical solution had a better tolerability property than oral Diclofenac sodium, especially due to side effects of gastrointestinal bleeding with the utilization of the oral format. In addition, the topical route may be considered a reasonable selection [...]

Oral Versus Topical Diclofenac Sodium in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.2018-09-26T20:11:02-04:00

Relationship between pain, opioid treatment, and delirium in emergency department elderly patients

2018-09-26T20:09:39-04:00

Introduction: Emergency department (ED) stay and its associated conditions (immobility, inadequate hydration and nutrition, lack of stimulation) favor the development of delirium in vulnerable elderly patients. Poorly controlled pain, and paradoxically opioid pain treatment, has also been identified as a trigger for delirium. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between pain, opioid treatment, and delirium in elderly ED patients. Methods: A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in four hospitals across the province of Québec (Canada). Patients aged 65 years old, waiting for care unit admission between February and May 2016, who were non-delirious upon ED [...]

Relationship between pain, opioid treatment, and delirium in emergency department elderly patients2018-09-26T20:09:39-04:00

Impact of frailty on chronic pain, activities of daily living and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study.

2018-09-26T17:12:10-04:00

Abstract AIM: The present cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between frailty and chronic pain, activities of daily living (ADL), and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Participants were 379 older adults who attended community-based exercise classes. Outcome measures were frailty as determined by the Kihon Checklist, full pain assessment (including the sensory, emotional and cognitive aspects of pain), ADL and physical activity. These outcomes were evaluated using validated tests and instruments. Assessments were carried out before beginning the exercise classes. Outcome measures were compared for participants with and without frailty. Frailty was defined as a total Kihon Checklist score [...]

Impact of frailty on chronic pain, activities of daily living and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional study.2018-09-26T17:12:10-04:00

Quick Links

Contact Us

Translational Research Institute on Pain in Later Life
Weill Cornell Medicine, Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine
525 East 68th Street
New York, NY 10065
Phone: 212.746.1801
Email: krh4005@med.cornell.edu