The Understanding of Pain by Older Adults Who Consider Themselves to Have Aged Successfully
Citation
Collis, D. & Waterfield, J. (2015) The Understanding of Pain by Older Adults Who Consider Themselves to Have Aged Successfully. Musculoskeletal Care, 13(1), pp. 19-30.
Abstract
Objectives: Despite an ageing population and an increased prevalence of chronic pain, the relationship between
chronic pain and the concept of successful ageing is unclear. The aim of the present research was to explore older
people's views on past and present experiences of pain, and its management, and how these experiences relate to
their perceptions of successful ageing.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews with six participants, aged 75 years or older, who considered themselves to
have aged successfully, explored what this concept meant to them and their experiences of pain. Data analysis used
methods drawn from grounded theory. The themes reported in this article are 'understanding of pain' and 'perceptions
of ageing'.
Results: None of the participants recalled painful experiences that were not attributable to physical trauma. They
believed that pain is part of life and a natural consequence of the ageing process. While some accepted this with little
resistance, others felt frustration at what they considered a dismissive attitude towards older people experiencing
pain from healthcare practitioners. The concept of successful ageing was previously unfamiliar to participants,
and their conceptualization of ageing derived from comparing themselves with their peers.
Conclusions: The findings of the present study suggest that predictable experiences of pain as one ages may contribute
to an acceptance of pain as a biomedical certainty, a belief reinforced both by health professionals and society.
However, one may have chronic pain and yet consider oneself to have aged successfully, and it should
therefore be recognized that there is a distinction between having pain and having a problem with pain.