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Helping Seniors Cope with Pain While Minimizing Medication

Helping Seniors Cope with Pain While Minimizing Medication

Pain management for older adults is complicated, as many seniors have more chronic health conditions. Medication for pain relief often has negative effects on the aging body. There are alternative pain relief methods to effectively help elderly patients manage pain. Many of these methods can be provided at home in a comfortable, familiar setting to alleviate pain without drugs. Providers of home care in Illinois can help with pain management for you or your aging loved one.

The goal of nondrug pain management is to decrease pain and improve quality of life for seniors. Drug-free therapies may help ease physical and psychological symptoms. Mild to moderate pain may be relieved without drugs, while moderate to severe pain may require some medication alongside nondrug techniques.

Nondrug interventions for physical or psychological pain may include:

  • Cold compress
  • Hot compress
  • Bodywork techniques: Massage therapy or Positioning
  • Pet therapy
  • Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi: Releases tension in the body through movements and/or controlled breathing
  • Exercise: Regular activity helps build strength and lower stress
  • Diet and nutrition: Some anti-inflammatory foods may help minimize pain
  • Aromatherapy
  • Music Therapy
  • Hydro therapy (water therapy)
  • Guided imagery

Nursing care services are sometimes reluctant to try these techniques because of common misconceptions. Here are some things to remember:

  • Nondrug interventions are not used in replacement for pain medication. Moderate to severe pain normally requires a combination of medication and nondrug therapies.
  • Nondrug interventions do not always decrease the pain intensity for all patients. It may decrease the patient’s awareness of pain to facilitate better coping.
  • Patients’ distraction from pain does not mean that the pain is tolerable.

More families have adopted nondrug methods of relieving pain for their loved ones because of its low cost, low risk of side effects, and improved interpersonal relationships. Passionate Private Duty is experienced in providing reliable, affordable, high-quality pain management services. To learn more about our home care in Pingree Grove, Illinois and surrounding communities, give us a call.

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