Choice of Nonpharmacological Pain Therapies by Ethnically Diverse Older Adults

SUMMARY 

Aim: This study compared nonpharmacological pain therapies used by ethnically diverse older adults with recommendations of family physicians and identified factors associated with nonpharmacological pain therapies use. Methods: Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, 281 participants in four ethnic groups (European Americans, Hispanics, African–Americans, Afro-Caribbeans) with chronic pain were surveyed. Binary logistic regression analyses were employed to determine associated factors. Results & conclusion: Nonaquatic exercise and physical therapy were most frequently recommended by physicians, and nonaquatic exercise was most commonly used by participants. Lower pain levels predicted use of nonaquatic exercise, and ethnicity predicted use of prayer to manage chronic pain. Future research should examine barriers to use of psychological treatments and assess the value of combined physical and psychological treatments.

KEYWORDS:

• chronic pain
• community-dwelling older adults
• ethnicity
• nonpharmacological pain management
• physical interventions
• psychological interventions

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This project was funded by the Gerontological Society of America and John A Hartford Foundation, Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program (2011–2013). J Park is Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic University and is a member of the faculty of the Florida Atlantic University School of Social Work. R Lavin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, University of Maryland and the Director of Chronic Outpatient Pain Service in the Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System. B Stahnke is a Master of Social Work student in the School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Gerontological Society of America and John A Hartford Foundation, Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholars Program (2011–2013). J Park is Assistant Professor at Florida Atlantic University and is a member of the faculty of the Florida Atlantic University School of Social Work. R Lavin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology, University of Maryland and the Director of Chronic Outpatient Pain Service in the Veterans Administration Maryland Health Care System. B Stahnke is a Master of Social Work student in the School of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.