The authors of a recent study published in the Clinical Journal 

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of Pain evaluated the persistence of chronic pain among community- dwelling older persons and identified factors related to persistent chronic pain. The authors enrolled 256 older adults age 76 and older who reported consistent chronic pain. Each participant was interviewed annually by a nurse practitioner who collected data on "prevalence, duration, location and intensity of nonmalignant musculoskeletal pain." The results indicate that 74.4% of participants experienced persistent chronic pain. The authors conclude that "chronic musculoskeletal pain is a highly persistent condition among community-dwelling older persons and it is related to poor health."

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New Methods in Managing Chronic Pain among Older Adults

In Current Medical Research and Opinion, the authors of a recent study assessed the extent of untreated pain among older adults and how it reduces quality of life. The authors also reviewed the reasons why persistent pain is poorly or inaccurately diagnosed among older adults. Factors responsible for the misdiagnosis of chronic pain include patients unwillingness to complain about pain, unusual pain presentations among patients, and patients with multiple morbidities and cognitive decline. The authors determined that "successful pain management depends upon accurate pain diagnosis, and an assessment of psychosocial functioning." The authors also found that "non-adherence to pain treatment is common among older adults," and  that "various strategies can be employed to improve this issue such as involving the elderly patient's caregivers and family, and using medication systems such as pill-boxes."

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New Tool for Assessing Pain among Older Adults

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The authors of a recent study published in Pain Management Nursing "developed and validated a tool to assess nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and reported practice of pain assessment in cognitively impaired elderly patients in acute care settings." The Tool for Evaluating the ways Nurses Assess Pain (TENAP) has two sections: "(1) nurses' knowledge and attitudes about pain assessment and management and (2) two questionnaires to assess reported practice." The authors enrolled "263 registered nurses working in the medical wards of two public hospitals" who were asked to test the effectiveness of the TENAP tool. The result indicate that "TENAP was feasible, valid, and reliable for assessing pain in cognitively-impaired elderly patients."

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Reiki Therapy for Pain and Anxiety

The authors of a recent study published in Pain Management Nursing performed a systematic review of the literature to identify the effect of Reiki therapy for pain and anxiety in older adults. The authors identified articles by searching "PubMed, ProQuest, Cochrane, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, Global Health, and Medline databases while using the search terms pain, anxiety, and Reiki." Out of 49 idenfied articles, 7 met the inclusion criteria. The authors conclude that "although the number of studies is limited, there is evidence to suggest that Reiki therapy may be effective for pain and anxiety."

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