As elderly population ages, the incidence and prevalence of certain pain syndromes increase. Pain may be underreported as some elderly patients incorrectly believe that pain is a normal process of aging. A comprehensive pain assessment includes a thorough medical history and physical examination, review of systems and pertinent laboratory results, imaging studies, and diagnostic tests.
Pain physicians should have a broad range of understanding of the pharmacologic and physiological changes that occur in the geriatric population. Elderly patients present with increased fat mass, decreased muscle mass, and decreased body water, all of which have important ramifications on drug distribution. There is a predictable age-related decline in cytochrome P-450 function and, combined with the polypharmacy that much of the elderly population experiences, this may lead to a toxic reaction of…
