![]() ![]() 2013).ĭespite the considerable prevalence and prevailing difficulties associated with musculoskeletal pain, researchers continue to report this type of pain and long-term pain in general, frequently being unrecognized, underestimated, underreported, and inadequately treated among older adults (AGS Panel on the Pharmacological Management of Persistent Pain in Older Persons 2009 Brown et al. 2011), a care that guides and supports the older adults based on their needs (Gillsjö et al. A holistic approach is needed in the overall management of pain to provide appropriate health care (Lohman et al. ![]() In addition, there is a need to take into account that healthcare problems such as pain and the situation as a whole often is accompanied with comorbidities and frailty. 2013) that can be described as “whatever the experiencing person says it is, existing whenever the experiencing person says it does” (McCaffery et al. It has to be recognized that pain is a subjective multidimensional experience (IASP 1986 Vallath et al. Musculoskeletal pain is a major contributor to the global burden of disability which has not been fully acknowledged and dealt with neither on an individual nor on an organizational level in the provision of health care and in healthcare policies (Blyth et al. Examples of difficulties caused by pain are reduced mobility, increased risk of falls and related injuries, sleep disturbance, distress, anxiety, depression, social isolation, sense of loneliness, and loss in life (Chen et al. The pain with associated disabilities tends to increase with age (Blyth et al. Research shows that as many as 60–80% of 65-year-older adults have at least one musculoskeletal condition with potential to cause pain (Duncan et al. 2014) with significant impact on an older adult´s sense of well-being and quality in life. It causes difficulties, independence, and disabilities (physical, psychological, social and existential) in daily life (Blyth et al. Long-term musculoskeletal pain caused by musculoskeletal conditions is a global, pervasive and predominant health problem. It is necessary to foster increased attentiveness and sensitivity in meeting the needs of each older adult and provide a care that alleviates suffering and preserves and promotes health and well-being. Suffering is reinforced by loneliness, a sense of not being taken seriously by health care providers and fear of an uncertain future. Finding ways to endure and distract from pain and to focus on issues that give joy and meaning in life is predominant in efforts to balance restraints from pain in life. Living with long-term musculoskeletal pain restricts access to the world and leads to a suffering in silence. The essence of the phenomenon entailed suffering in silence and encompassed the following constituents: loneliness and restrictions in daily living ways to endure and distract from pain not being taken seriously fear of the future and valuing joy and meaning in life. ![]() Data were collected through open-ended interviews and analyzed to understand the meanings of the phenomenon. Data were obtained from 20 community-dwelling older adults, aged 72–97 years. The study design was an inductive qualitative Reflective Lifeworld Research approach grounded in phenomenological epistemology. The aim of the study was to deepen the understanding of the phenomenon: how older adults experience living with long-term musculoskeletal pain at home. However, there is limited knowledge of community-dwelling older adults’ experiences of living with this type of pain. Long-term musculoskeletal pain is a major, disabling, and often undertreated health problem among the increasing number of older adults worldwide. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |