Elderly people often experience back pain. One of the main causes of this is degeneration of the spine, for example, bone growths in the spine putting pressure on a nerve, or dislocation of a vertebra from its original location. Preliminary treatment still relies on the medical approach, wearing of a shirt that wraps tightly around the waist and physical therapy. If symptoms do not improve or they worsen, surgery might be contemplated. In any case, other causes of back pain include pain extending from abdominal organs, such as kidney stones and pancreatitis, which are fairly uncommon.
With older age, the fluids inside the spinal discs decrease in quantity, leading to reduced flexibility and function of the spinal discs, not to mention degeneration of the vertebral joints. When combined with additional co-factors like heavy weight and lack of exercised, these conditions lead to increasing incidences of back pain.
Once an older person experiences back pain, they may also experience the following:
- Insomnia due to disruption by pain.
- Loss of appetite due to emotional suffering, which can lead to depression and excessive weight loss.
- A high level of dependency in some patients due to severe pain preventing mobility and that causes them to lie still while being assisted by their children. This leads to other side effects such as muscle atrophy and weakness.
- Risk for pain medication side effects. Most older patients mainly try to deal with their pain symptoms by taking medications. However, this is only a band-aid solution.
7 Easy Practices for Older Patients with Chronic Back Pain
- Be careful with and avoid work that involves heavy lifting or work that involves bend up and down.
- Avoid postures that may cause back pain. For example, mattresses should be flat and firm enough to support the physiology of the back, while chairs should have a backrest, and the person should sit straight. When bending to pick up objects, the person should also do so by bending the knees.
- Perhaps pain medications can be used. For example, paracetamol can be taken to relieve pain every 4-6 hours. If symptoms do not improve after taking medications, you should consult a doctor. In chronic or severe cases of back pain, physical therapy and hot or cold compresses should be able to alleviate pain symptoms.
- Back muscle exercises can reduce back pain due to strengthening the back muscles. These exercises should be performed daily.
- Exercise to relieve stress.
- Quit smoking.
- Wear a back support (waistband), which is effective in some patients. (Doctors do not recommend this to be used regularly, since it can weaken the back muscles.)
Treatment Options
The goal of back pain treatment is to reduce pain symptoms and allow the patient to be able to return as much as possible to normal living. Today, there are many treatment options available, depending on the cause of back pain and duration of the pain. Doctors will decide for each patient what treatment approaches and techniques are suitable for minimizing the patient’s pain. Accordingly, treatments are divided into 2 main approaches, namely, surgical treatments and non-surgical treatments.
Non-Surgical Treatments
- Supportive care, for example, through taking medications, physical therapy and modifying work behaviors, in non-severe cases.
- Steroid injection into the vertebral canal. This technique can help reduce pain caused by inflammation and assist in the diagnosis of the cause of the pain. This technique is used in patients who have already received supportive care but experienced no improvements in symptoms or who experience pain due to nerve disruption.
Surgical Treatment
Doctors will use this treatment approach when the patient has clear indications for it, for example, loss of bowel control, leg weakness, loss of ability to walk or if other treatment methods are ineffective. Accordingly, many surgical techniques are available, depending on the patient or indications for surgery.
