Many senior citizens face back pain. Back pain is often a precursor of disability, and many long term care insurance policies will automatically disqualify people for qualifying if they do have chronic back pain since it increases the chances that they will actually need to utilize their policy in the future.
Studies are now showing that physical therapy can offset the need for care later on if it is put in place early on in the appearance of pain. Statistically, the amount of help that was provided was significant, but on an individual level, not so much. In normal speak, this means that early physical therapy is only slightly helpful. This is surely a start in helping to improve the quality of life for those that have back pain and will have it in the future, but it’s not a big step forward. Right now, because this type of pain is so closely linked to the need for senior care, every little bit helps, but if you have an elderly loved one with back pain, starting the search for a good in-home caregiver earlier than you would think you need to is a smart choice.
Back pain is often a lifelong struggle for some people, and it can increase in severity as we age. Estimates guess that about two to five percent of all physician visits involve back pain. It is a costly malady, especially when you consider the fact that it can lead to permanent disability and a heightened need for senior care. Having a loved one in pain constantly is also quite stressful on family members.
This study did find that therapy had helped to decrease pain within three months of application, but long term results didn’t show much difference. After a year, pain was still at about the same level and it was hard to say if improvements had been made at all. Unfortunately, the study didn’t have a lot of participants at only 220 people being observed, and much more work is going to be needed in this particular field if advancements are going to be made. This doesn’t mean that hope is gone, but it is a little bit off of what people had been hoping for.
Staying in shape, maintaining good health and a healthy weight, and avoiding accidents are all important parts of life for everyone, not just those experiencing back pain. If you are able to keep these things focused upon in your life and your family members’ lives, the odds of having severe back pain are much lower for you. Like so many other aspects of senior care, prevention is the best approach. For those that are experiencing this now, there’s no way to reverse this, but there is a chance for those of us that are healthy to stay that way by improving our ability to care for ourselves. Doing so will help make senior care less of a necessity later on in life and will keep us healthier and happier for longer. It’s not a perfect approach, but it does tilt the odds a bit more into our favor.
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