Anxiety and chronic pain often go hand in hand, according to a recent study. The researchers found that over half of adult that were suffering from anxiety also had reported chronic pain. This conclusion was reached after over 5,000 individuals with self reports of prolonged pain symptoms. Besides anxiety, many other illnesses were looked at, but anxiety was the comorbidity that had the highest frequency of occurrence. Researchers also expressed their concern that the burden of having both physical and emotional difficulties is a hard thing for individuals, and it is a consistently growing issue amongst the elderly.
Chronic pain is one of those things that can make the senior years much more difficult than they typically are. Some doctors prescribe opioids for the management of chronic pain, and while this can be helpful in some cases, these medications often cause more problems than they solve. In fact, prolonged opioid usage has been connected to early mortality.
The connection between anxiety and chronic pain is beneficial if it can help save or improve the quality of lives. Things like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder can be tremendously debilitating if left untreated, and unfortunately, seniors are often the population that is least likely to be treated for mental illness. If there is a causal relationship between anxiety and chronic pain, helping people suffering from anxiety may help to relieve pain symptoms.
Chronic pain is notoriously difficult to treat, especially when doctors cannot easily find a cause of the pain. However, anxiety is often very treatable. Like depression and similar mental illnesses, anxiety can be treated through a three-pronged approach of medication, exercise, and counseling. This doesn’t cure symptoms for everyone, but for most individuals, it does keep things under control. And if it can help relieve anxiety, the chronic pain that comes along with it can also be handled. This tends to be a far safer treatment approach than opioids.
Having an older relative who is suffering is difficult on the whole family. Things like in-home care and knowledgeable caregivers can help to alleviate the stress that comes along with it, but it isn’t necessarily going to ensure that your mom or dad is getting the best care possible. There are many other factors that need to be considered, and mental health is one of them. If this is a concern for your family, be sure that you talk with your parent about your concerns. Speaking with a medical professional can also be a step in the right direction. If you have questions about care, please contact a professional in the field. We can help with many of your concerns here at Paradise In-Home Care, so feel free to email or call us today to schedule a free consultation.
One other interesting find within this study was that almost a quarter of individuals that reported either anxiety or chronic pain also suffered from high blood pressure. This is another big concern in older adults, and another issue that can typically be treated through medication, exercise, and even dietary changes.
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