Persistent Pain and Decline of Physical Function
It may come as no surprise that pain can affect physical function. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) studied the effect of persistent pain among older adults. McKnights reports that their research findings indicate that this ongoing pain affects about 58 percent of individuals in skilled nursing facilities and negatively impacts their physical function and well-being.
Over 5,500 individuals participated in this study. The relationship between ongoing pain and changes in cognitive and physical function was assessed. Participants were aged 65 years and older.
How does one define persistent pain? In this study, researchers defined it as someone who was bothered by pain in the last month. Participants were interviewed twice, a year apart. Individuals who had pain in only one of the interviews were categorized as having intermittent pain. Of those that participated, 39 percent reported persistent pain and 28 percent reported intermittent pain.
Participants who had persistent pain experienced a decline in physical function and overall well-being. More than one-third of these individuals reported having pain in five or more body parts. It was noted that Black participants were more likely to report the pain they experienced when compared to White participants.