Airing Pain 18: Growing Older with Pain

How to improve pain management for older people, and living with lower back pain

Pain has often been seen as an inevitable part of getting older. Airing Pain listened in to a panel of experts at a ‘Growing Old with Pain: Innovation, Creativity and Development’ conference in Edinburgh to hear how pain treatments can dramatically improve the quality of life of older patients. The importance of family and carers taking an active role in the management of elderly patient’s pain is highlighted, along with the importance of raising awareness of the best treatments for pain in older people among health professionals. We also hear the inspirational story of Michael and Rosemary Morrison who together have rebuilt their lives around their chronic back pain and the benefits of using computers and computer games to access information and exercise.

Issues covered in this programme include: Elderly people, lower back pain, family, carers, computer games, Nintendo Wii, arthritis, depression, isolation, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, care home, educating health professionals, misdiagnosis, exercise and fibromyalgia.

Contributors:

• Michael and Rosemary Morrison, Pain Association Scotland
• Ron Marsh, Patient
• Dorothy-Grace Elder, ex-MSP, campaigner
• Dr Beverly Collett
• Professor Dennis Martin, Director of Centre for Rehabilitation Sciences, Teesside University
• Professor Peter Passmore, Queens University Belfast
• Dr Pat Schofield, Director of Study for Advanced Nursing, Centre of Academic Primary Care
• Dr Kevin Voles, Consultant Clinical Psychologist.