Paper
Thursday, July 12, 2007
West Meets East: an Intervention to Promote Quality of Life in Older Adults Experiencing Chronic Nonmalignant Pain
Asphodel Yang, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung City, Taiwan
| Learning Objective #1: learn a new approach to manange chronic pain in older adults. |
| Learning Objective #2: recognize individuals’ differing responses while providing self-management group intervention for elderly persons with chronic pain. |
Background: Given the magnitude of chronic nonmalignant pain (CNP) among older adults, health care professionals should learn more about a variety of pain management approaches that older adults adopt to decrease their pain and enhance their quality of life. A nurse guided pain management (NGPM) program that combines the practice of tai chi chuan with cognitive-behavioral therapy was proposed as an innovative approach that might improve the experience of living with pain and the quality of life, presenting one possible solution to the management of CNP in older adults. Method: A one-group pre-test-posttest repeated measures design was used with participants serving with their own controls to pilot testing the intervention and determine the effects on specific outcomes of older adults with CNP. 16 older adults, who met the inclusion criteria, were recruited form a local senior center and an independently living retirement community. Data were collected at one week before the program (baseline), at the completion of NGPM program, and at 3-month follow up. Results: Curve estimation regression indicated that individual variability exists among participants for their change slope as response to the intervention. Participants’ change trajectories demonstrated nonlinear trends. Both MANOVA and MANCOVA analyses suggested that older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain who participated at the NGPM program showed significant improvement in the study outcome. The results of this study provide preliminary evidence suggesting the benefits of a 12-week NGPM Program for chronic pain problem in older adults. Clinicians should attend to the individuals’ differing responses while providing self-management group intervention for elderly persons with chronic pain.