Centre for Policy on Ageing
 

 

Living within your limits
 — activity restriction in older people experiencing chronic pain
Author(s)Fiona Mackichan, Joy Adamson, Rachael Gooberman-Hill
Journal titleAge and Ageing, vol 42, no 6, November 2013
PublisherOxford University Press, November 2013
Pagespp 702-708
Sourcewww.ageing.oxfordjournals.org
KeywordsIndependence ; Mobility ; Pain ; Qualitative Studies ; Cross sectional surveys ; South West England.
AnnotationAlthough maintaining activity is key to successful pain management, and important to health and wellbeing, it is known that older people in pain frequently alter or reduce activity levels. A 'fear-avoidance' model is often used to explain avoidance of activity in the face of pain. However, this model is not intended to take account of the wider context in which activity changes take place, nor older people's own explanations for their behaviour. The authors investigate the reasons why older people in the community adjust their activity levels when living with chronic pain. Thirty-one people aged between 67 and 92 were purposively sampled from respondents to a community-based cross-sectional survey in the South west of England. All participants had reported long-term pain and were interviewed about this. Data were collected and analysed using a qualitative constructivist grounded theory approach. Explanations for deliberative reduction or ceasing of activities reflected a desire to prevent pain exacerbation, thereby avoiding medical intervention. It also reflected a desire to safeguard autonomy in the face of pain in older age. Restrictions were often rationalised as normal in older age, although co-existing accounts of perseverance and frustration with limitation were also evident. A rational desire to avoid pain exacerbation and medical intervention motivated restrictions to activity. However, deliberative limitation of activity has the potential to compromise autonomy by increasing social isolation and de-conditioning. Supporting older people with pain to be active requires sensitivity to the function of activity restriction, especially as a means of preventing deterioration. (RH).
Accession NumberCPA-131115203 A
ClassmarkC3: C4: CT7: 3DP: 3KB: 82Y

Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing

...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.
 

CPA home >> Ageinfo Database >> Last modified: Fri 21 Sep 2018, © CPA 2018 Queries to: webmaster@cpa.org.uk