Laurie Barclay, MD NEW YORK (MedscapeWire) May 14
Because pain is not a normal accompaniment of aging, it should be evaluated thoroughly and treated aggressively, according to updated guidelines published by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
The expert panel that revised the 1998 guidelines recommends that no patient be given a placebo for pain control. A significant change is the panel’s use of the term persistent rather than chronic pain, which connotes negative stereotypes of malingering, futility in treatment, or drug-seeking behavior.
“The term persistent pain may foster a more positive attitude by patients and professionals for the many effective treatments that are available to help alleviate unnecessary suffering,” panel Chairman Bruce Ferrell of the University of California, Los Angeles, says in a news release. In conjunction with these guidelines for physicians, AGS has developed patient tools to help monitor medications and pain symptoms.
“We believe that these educational tools will make it easier for patients to talk to their clinicians and families about pain relief,” says AGS president Jerry Johnson, MD.
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