Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: Holistic Pain Management for Seniors
This article is excerpted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources. You can listen to my conversation with Angelica here. – Mark/Editor
By Angelica Herrera Venson,DrPH, MPH
Pain is a serious problem for many seniors and caregivers. When Western medicine fails us, or is out of reach financially, the pain can drive many of us to explore alternative forms of therapy. Indeed, holistic pain management for seniors can be a powerful tool, where you are combining multiple approaches for reducing and managing your pain.
However, before you do that, make sure you understand the strength of the science behind these options and the limitations of what they can and cannot treat. You should also be aware of the risks, along with when such techniques might not be suitable.
After all, the goal is to decrease your pain, not to harm yourself. This is also why you should keep your healthcare provider in the loop about any approaches that you take.
Table of Contents
- What is Holistic Pain Management for Seniors?
- The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the United States
- Forms of Pain
- Conventional Methods for Pain Treatment/Management
- CAM Modalities for Pain Management
- Precautions
- Conclusion
What is Holistic Pain Management for Seniors?
First things first, what do we mean when we talk about holistic pain management for seniors?
The term holistic refers to the whole body. The idea here is that rather than just targeting the site of pain, you’re taking a whole body approach. Doing so helps the body respond better to pain, often meaning that your pain decreases as you go.
Some approaches include things you should already be doing every day, like eating well, getting enough sleep, and trying to decrease stress.
Others fall into the category of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The idea here is similar, except that CAM focuses on medical-based approaches. Popular CAM practices include:
- Acupuncture
- Yoga
- Massage
- Hydrotherapy
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Tai Chi
- Hypnosis
- CBD/Cannabidiol
Some definitions also include prayer and/or vitamins in their list of CAM, while others don’t.
While some people use CAM instead of conventional medical treatment, most people use both types at the same time (CDC, 2015).