To many of us, it feels like a right of passage: the older we get, the more ongoing are the aches and pains that remind us of our age and how our body is (or is not) coping. If you feel this way, new data from the CDC confirms you’re not alone. According to these new CDC findings, chronic pain (persistent, lasting pain of more than 3 months duration) occurs in over 30% of those over age 65 and is likely to be more prevalent in women than men. Given that this condition is more common than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined, it’s somewhat astonishing that more attention is not paid to this debilitating condition. In fact, high impact chronic pain (i.e., pain that limits your everyday work or activities) affects more than one out of 10 adults over the age of 65. And the pandemic has only exacerbated the challenge of ensuring proper pain management for those with chronic pain. For a general overview of chronic pain in older adults, its sources, and methods of treatment, pull out your heating pad and take a look here.

There’s also evidence that such pain not only causes physical distress but is implicated in cognitive decline and even premature aging. Previously, we noted a study about the long-term detrimental effects that chronic pain may have on cognitive skills. Evidence continues to be collected to support this pain-brain connection, and more recently, a study was published in the Journal of Pain suggesting that patients with chronic pain may have shorter telomere length, a condition associated with premature aging.

While opioids continue to be prescribed for chronic pain relief in older adults, their use continues to be controversial and risky. Other over-the-counter pain relief, such as acetaminophen, is commonly prescribed but recent research into acetaminophen (or its commercial brands such as Tylenol or Excedrin) shows the potential risk for this pain management option as well. A recent study out of Switzerland pointed to the increasing number of unintentional overdoses and poisonings that have come from increased dosages of acetaminophen and one message from this study is clear: such drugs provide only limited relief for those suffering chronic pain and if you’re not achieving the desired pain relief, better to consult your physician rather than automatically up your dosage. Perhaps even more alarming is another recent study that acetaminophen can have an impact on your psychological functioning, with reports that it appears to induce risk-taking behavior. Given that 25% of US adults take this medication every week, there is certainly cause for concern.

It’s not surprising, then, that older adults may be seeking out non-traditional sources of pain management, such as cannabis. Fortunately, then, a new international task force has recently released guidelines on the use of medical cannabis for chronic pain. To find out more, pull out your CBD and click here.