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CHRONIC PAIN
IN OLD AGE
An Integrated Biopsychosocial Perspective
Chronic pain
is a daily fact of life for many elderly people. The pain is often seen
as a product of age, and is only too readily accepted as inevitable by
patient and physician.
This collection of original essays offers a comprehensive biopsychosocial
approach to address the complex symptoms and treatment of chronic pain
in the elderly. The nineteen contributors come from many disciplines,
including psychology, medicine, social work, physical therapy, and nursing.
Their primary objective is to improve the quality of pain management for
seniors, but they also urge readers to examine their own attitudes and
beliefs about elderly patients, to avoid the pitfalls of ageism and to
refrain from using age to rationalize inaction.
The volume is loosely divided into three overlapping sections. The first
addresses social, psychological, and epidemiological issues. The second
section deals with family issues, including their role in pain management.
The final section addresses psychological and medical interventions.
Ranjan
Roy is a professor in the Faculty of Social Work and the department of
Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, He is the author of numerous books
including The Social Context of the Chronic Pain Sufferer.
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