What Should Older Adults Know About Pain Care?
Chronic pain in older adults is real, deserves careful assessment, and is not an inevitable part of aging. Treatment can aim for safer movement, better sleep, fewer flares, and preserved daily function, not only a lower pain score.
A plan should reflect your health conditions, medicines, mobility, and personal goals. Depending on the cause, care may include medication management, movement-based support, image-guided injections, or coordination with other clinicians.
Dr. Rebecca Kerr is dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, UCLA-trained, and has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years. Her approach includes patient education and, when appropriate, non-opioid, non-addicting medicines. Dr. Kerr also coordinates care with other specialists and therapy providers, so treatment can address both symptoms and daily needs.
How Is Chronic Pain Assessed?
Chronic pain assessment looks beyond a pain score. A clinician asks where and when pain occurs, what changes it, and how it affects sleep, mood, mobility, and daily activities, while reviewing health conditions, medicines, and past treatments.
An examination may help identify possible causes, including arthritis. Imaging or other tests may be appropriate when symptoms and examination findings support them; scan changes alone do not prove what is causing pain. A review of chronic pain in older adults also emphasizes considering multiple health conditions and function.
Some older adults underreport pain or have trouble describing it, especially when memory or communication is affected. Changes in movement, facial expression, sleep, or social interaction, along with caregiver observations, can add context. These signs may have other causes, so they need clinical assessment.
How is chronic pain in older adults assessed and treated? A clinician reviews symptoms, function, health, and medicines, then considers examination, testing, education, medication management, movement-based care, or referral. The right plan depends on the person.
When dementia makes self-report difficult, clinicians can compare behavior with the person’s usual patterns and speak with caregivers. Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, trained at UCLA and has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years. She helps patients understand findings and decide together whether further evaluation or coordinated care may help.
To discuss an evaluation, request an appointment with Dr. Kerr.
What Should Treatment Aim to Improve?
Treatment can aim for more than a lower pain score. It may focus on safer movement, better sleep, walking, mood, confidence, and the ability to manage daily activities with greater independence. Progress is personal, and care cannot promise to remove pain completely.
Chronic pain can affect mobility, sleep, mood, and social connection, making everyday tasks harder. These effects are real; emotional distress does not mean the pain is imaginary. Research on chronic pain management in older adults describes how pain care can track function and well-being alongside pain intensity.
A patient and clinician can choose practical goals together, such as getting out of a chair more safely or returning to a valued activity, then review them as care progresses. Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology and UCLA-trained, has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years. She emphasizes patient education and coordination with primary care and other clinicians so the plan reflects the person’s health and priorities. Learn more about Dr. Kerr and treatment goals beyond pain scores.
Which Medicines May Be Appropriate?
There is no single safest pain medicine for every older adult. The right choice depends on the cause of pain, other health conditions, kidney and liver function, current medicines, possible interactions, and the person’s goals.
When appropriate, Dr. Rebecca Kerr, a UCLA-trained physician who is dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, considers non-opioid, non-addicting medicines as part of an individual plan. Non-opioid medicines can still cause side effects, so the choice should account for health conditions and other treatments.
A medication review can help identify interactions or concerns such as dizziness, sleepiness, confusion, or falls. Dr. Kerr has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years and explains the diagnosis and treatment choices so patients can discuss what matters to them. The CDC’s guidance on nonopioid therapies recommends individualizing care and weighing potential benefits against risks.
Is there one safest pain reliever or medication for older adults?
No. A medicine that may suit one person may be unsafe or ineffective for another, including because of kidney or liver concerns or interactions with current medicines. Discuss medication questions with your physician, and do not start, stop, or change a medicine without that conversation.
Opioids may be considered for selected people when expected benefits for pain and daily function outweigh the risks. They require clinician oversight and monitoring, but taking a prescribed opioid is not a reason for judgment or stigma. California Pain Institute’s medication management emphasizes non-opioid options when appropriate while considering each person’s needs.
For an individualized medication discussion, Dr. Rebecca Kerr sees patients in Torrance, serving the South Bay, and in Los Angeles near LAX. Request an appointment with Dr. Kerr, or call Torrance at (310) 504-0632 or Los Angeles at (310) 642-7900.
What Non-Drug Care Can Support Function?
Non-drug care can help older adults build strength, move more safely, and manage daily activities, even when pain does not fully go away. A clinician can help choose approaches that fit a person’s health, abilities, and goals.
Physical therapy and individualized exercise may support strength, balance, mobility, and everyday function. A goal might be practicing a movement that has become difficult, such as standing from a chair; a physical therapist can adapt activity to the person’s needs. California Pain Institute can coordinate physical therapy as part of a broader plan.
Behavioral health support, including cognitive behavioral therapy, may help with coping skills and reducing fear-driven avoidance of activity. Mindfulness, relaxation, massage, or acupuncture may also be worth discussing, though suitability and benefit vary. The CDC’s guidance on nonopioid therapies includes physical activity and psychological approaches among options for chronic pain.
Heat, cold, gentle stretching, and pacing activity may support movement between appointments. Ask for safety advice first if you have neuropathy, poor circulation, or changes in memory or thinking, since sensation or judgment may affect safe use.
Sleep, mood, and social support can also shape how pain affects daily life. Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology and UCLA-trained, has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years; her approach includes patient education and coordination with other clinicians. Learn more about Dr. Kerr.
When Might an Injection Be Considered?
An image-guided injection may be considered when an evaluation suggests that a specific joint, nerve, muscle, or spinal area is contributing to pain. It is not suitable for everyone, and results vary. A clinician should explain the possible benefits, risks, and alternatives and how a procedure would fit into the broader care plan.
What treatment options may help older adults with chronic pain?
Depending on the cause, health conditions, current medicines, and personal goals, care may include medication management, physical therapy, coordination with other clinicians, or an injection. The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ overview of non-opioid treatment describes injections and nerve blocks as options for some types of pain, not as a fit for every patient.
At California Pain Institute, Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, evaluates whether an injection may be appropriate for conditions such as back pain or neuropathy. The practice offers ultrasound- and X-ray-guided spinal, nerve, joint, soft-tissue, and trigger point injections, as well as X-ray-guided epidural steroid injections.
Dr. Kerr is UCLA-trained and has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years. She emphasizes patient education, non-opioid, non-addicting medicines when suitable, and coordination with other clinicians and therapy services. Learn more about Dr. Kerr.
When Is Pain an Emergency?
Seek emergency care now for sudden weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or back pain with a fever. These symptoms can signal a serious problem affecting the spine or nervous system and should not wait for a routine appointment.
A sudden, severe headache that feels like the worst headache of your life also needs emergency assessment. If you are unsure how urgent a symptom is, contact emergency services or go to an emergency department.
Pain that is severe, persistent, getting worse, or limiting daily activities deserves medical assessment even without emergency warning signs. A clinician can evaluate possible causes and discuss appropriate next steps; the Mayo Clinic’s guidance on chronic pain in older adults recommends seeking care when pain is severe, persistent, or affects function.
For ongoing pain, Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, evaluates adults at California Pain Institute’s Torrance office, serving the South Bay, and Los Angeles office near LAX. For sudden warning signs, seek emergency care rather than waiting for a clinic evaluation.
What Questions Do Older Adults Often Ask?
Older adults often ask whether chronic pain is inevitable, how pain affects sleep and mood, whether a caregiver can help during an evaluation, whether to change pain medicine without consulting a physician, and what to bring to a pain appointment. Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology and UCLA-trained, has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years. Learn more about Dr. Kerr.
Is chronic pain an inevitable part of aging?
No. Pain may become more common with age, but it should not be dismissed as unavoidable. Conditions such as arthritis can cause pain, but a clinician can assess symptoms and discuss care based on a person’s health and goals.
Can pain affect sleep or mood?
Yes. Ongoing pain can interfere with sleep, mood, and daily activities, and poor sleep or distress can make pain harder to manage.
Can a caregiver help during an evaluation?
Yes. A caregiver can describe changes in movement, sleep, mood, appetite, or daily activities, when they began, and what seems to affect them. These observations can help when memory or communication is difficult.
Should I change a pain medicine without consulting my physician?
No. Discuss any possible change with the prescribing physician, since other medicines and health conditions can affect what is safe. Dr. Rebecca Kerr, dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, includes medication review and education, with non-opioid, non-addicting options considered when appropriate.
What should I bring to a pain appointment?
Bring a current medicine list, information about health conditions and past treatments, and questions or goals for care. A caregiver can help share observations. Dr. Kerr sees patients in Torrance in the South Bay and in Los Angeles near LAX.
To request an appointment with Dr. Kerr, call Torrance at (310) 504-0632 or Los Angeles at (310) 642-7900.
How Can an Older Adult Seek an Evaluation?
An evaluation can consider where pain occurs, how it affects sleep and daily activities, your medical history, current medicines, previous care, and personal goals. A family member or caregiver can share useful observations, especially if describing symptoms is difficult.
At California Pain Institute, Dr. Rebecca Kerr is dual board-certified in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology, UCLA-trained, and has practiced pain management exclusively for more than 25 years. She explains the diagnosis and care options, and coordinates with other clinicians when needed. Her offices serve the South Bay from Torrance and west Los Angeles near LAX.
Request an appointment with Dr. Kerr. Torrance: (310) 504-0632; Los Angeles: (310) 642-7900.
