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Growing older comes with lots of challenges, like physical changes that come with ageing and mental tiredness. Many seniors silently suffer with pain as a daily challenge and have accepted it as a part of life. Whether it’s joint pain or pain from a long-term condition such as arthritis or diabetes, living in pain all the time is stressful, and this affects their sleep, eating habits, social connections, mental well-being, and daily schedule.
However, this can be controlled with the right pain management techniques, therapies, medications, or support systems that help reduce pain, discomfort, and improve quality of life.
At Sahabhaav, we believe that every senior deserves to live with comfort and dignity without compromising their independence. We focus on pain assessment and management, observe the type and root causes, and understand each resident’s needs to help them feel better. We also follow proven pain management techniques that are safe and gentle for seniors, helping them get a better quality of life.
Let’s understand the different pain management techniques from medicine to natural therapies, and how Sahabhaav supports pain relief in a caring, kind, and personalized approach to each senior suffering from pain.
As people grow old, different bodily changes are going to happen, causing distress and pain. Seniors face a lot of challenges with their aging bodies and long-term illnesses. Understanding the reason behind pain helps in better pain assessment and management, guiding the way to pain management nursing and the pain management techniques that are required.
At Sahabhaav, we offer holistic support that covers all aspects of pain management:
| Tip- Encourage simple daily movements, like a 10-minute walk. This encourages free body movement and helps to reduce joint pain. For each pound a person loses, their knee joint load reduces by about 4 pounds. This is a powerful pain management technique for better mobility and less discomfort in seniors. |
As people age, many seniors quietly suffer pain without saying or conveying their health conditions. This is due to the feeling of being misunderstood, ignored, or being a burden. However, it’s important to check on old people from time to time to understand the signs of pain or make them feel comfortable sharing their feelings. Caregivers and staff should be trained and have education regarding the health conditions of seniors so that they can understand and inform when they see the signs in time. This will help the seniors to live a life without pain. Let’s look at some of the common reasons why seniors keep their pain to themselves and how we can help them:
Many seniors believe joint pain and stiffness are a part of old age. They may think there is nothing to complain about or consult a doctor or family, because everyone seems to think the same way. Because pain is not something that seniors should have to live with, it can be treated or managed with medication and exercise. It is necessary to take pain seriously for proper pain assessment and management.
Some seniors worry they will be seen as weak, needy, or dependent on others. They might think:
This fear can stop them from speaking up, even when they are suffering from pain. Here, the families, and caregivers need to reassure seniors that it’s okay to open up about the pain; they need to ask for help without any confusion or guilt or fear.
Long-term illnesses like dementia or speech difficulties due to stroke make it hard for seniors to explain their pain. When healthcare staff or family members don’t understand the signs, they suffer in pain silently without anyone noticing, and others forget to mention it. At Sahabhaav, pain management nursing includes more than just asking; they watch for changes in mood, facial expressions, body language, and behaviour. This is the least they can do.
Sadly, many seniors are mostly ignored and discouraged from further talking about their pain. Mostly, the cases have come to light where caregivers, attending staff, or family members have ignored pain in seniors. Popping pain killers is not the solution in many cases. They feel isolated and depressed and silently suffer.
Some seniors don’t like doctor visits, tests, or needed medication because they fear being hospitalized or labeled as a patient; some do fear treatments altogether, avoiding telling the truth. They would endure pain rather than start treatments with possible side effects or risks. In this case, Sahabhaav understands these worries and offers pain management techniques that are gentle and non-invasive, whenever possible. Simple exercises, heat therapy, or even massages can go a long way.
Seniors often endure their pain quietly by adjusting their lifestyle, resting more, avoiding certain movements, or distracting themselves through activities like watching TV or knitting. This gives a sense of control without complaining. This often leads to loneliness, stiffness, or more pain over time. That’s why pain management needs to be proactive. At Sahabhaav, we encourage seniors to share their thoughts and feelings, and we support them with personalized care every step of the way.
| Fact- A study found that 74% of older adults ignore their joint pain to stay active, and nearly 10% strongly blame it on aging, which goes with common thinking. Click Here |
People of old age often believe that pain is a part of their lives. However, this is not true. Let’s understand that pain is treatable, whether it’s due to weakness, lifestyle, nutrition, accident, or chronic diseases. Managing pain in seniors involves understanding the whole person, including their thoughts, lifestyle, past injuries, and emotional state. Here are a few ways to manage pain safely with care and patience:
Using medicine for pain in seniors is the most effective way to treat pain. It will help to ease the pain without causing more problems. Older bodies process medicine differently, so you need to be careful when giving medicines. You need to maintain a routine according to the doctor’s instructions and continue till recovery. Common pain medicines that are prescribed by doctors:
| Caution: Antidepressants can cause dry mouth, constipation, sleepiness, or trouble urinating. Overdosing on pain killers could cause an array of other side effects. |
Seniors might hesitate to take medicines due to side effects. Suffering from chronic illness makes it difficult to take medicine timely and in some cases, medicines cause a reverse effect. However, there are other ways to manage pain without medicines. Here are a few options to consider with relevant to the person:
Physical Therapy: It helps to build strength and improve stiffness, and allows free movement.
CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches seniors to manage pain by changing thoughts and learning new skills to endure pain.
Yoga: It improves balance, flexibility, and reduces stiffness.
Massage Therapy: This is the most commonly used therapy that helps to relax muscles and relieve tension.
Heat and Cold Therapy: This works well with seniors who are suffering from swelling and stiffness. Heat helps to relax muscles, and cold helps to reduce swelling.
Acupuncture: Some seniors find relief through this ancient practice. This can improve mood, sleep, and relax your muscles from long-term pain.
As bodies grow old, most seniors face a loss of appetite that makes it difficult to intake the nutrition our body requires. However, this is also a case where the body suffers from pain due to a lack of certain nutrients. Here are certain foods that need to be eaten more, and some need to be avoided altogether for a healthy lifestyle:
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| Tip- Supplements like fish oil, turmeric, and vitamin D can help reduce pain. P.S.: Consult your doctor first before adding anything to your diet. |
There are some specialized programs that educate and help seniors, families, and caregivers understand pain management in seniors. Here are a few programs that offer:
Seniors with dementia need extra care due to their memory loss. They forget if they were in pain; they forget their medicines, so it’s the responsibility of the family and caretakers to look after them. Sometimes they are unable to speak about their pain; this is the point where they need to be listened to and notice the small signs they are picking up to communicate. Here are some signs that might help you find seniors with dementia in pain:
Work calmly and patiently, choose methods like massage, warm baths, which help them to calm down, and then consult with the doctor to find a safe option.
Finally, seniors living with pain and silently enduring it is not a normal thing. Every pain can be treated, and seniors can live a healthy and happy life. They need emotional support from families, kindness from caregivers, and lots of love to overcome their fears and be open about their condition. Some seniors with dementia may not be able to communicate their issues. In this situation, it’s their families and caregivers’ responsibility to show up and find out the signs for help by monitoring their daily habits and needs. At Sahabhaav, we have a team of Palliative care experts, who treat chronic conditions for comfort. We have trained nurses and staff who provide personalized treatment for each individual. They take care of seniors with kindness and patience.
Contact Sahabhaav today to explore structured pain management plans for your loved ones and empower them to live better, pain-free lives.
Suffering from pain in old age is treatable. At Sahabhaav, they will be looked after by trained staff and nurses and will be monitored regularly for any health issues or discomfort they are facing. Contact Sahabhaav today to choose a healthy life for your loved ones.
There are several ways to help seniors manage their pain, such as regular check-ups, medicines, physical therapies, or lifestyle changes.
Physical therapy is one of the pain management techniques, such as heat, cold, exercise, acupuncture, and many more. Other techniques, like warm baths and yoga, can be used to manage pain without medication.
Pain management is necessary for improving a person’s overall health and well-being, minimizing stress, and maximizing happy hormones.