Two-thirds of older adults with joint pain use OTC therapies to manage pain
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Most older adults with joint pain feel they can manage said pain without physician assistance, while 66% report they treat their joint pain with over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, according to a poll.
The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging reported that 70% of people aged 50 years and older experience some level of joint pain, and 60% of people in that age range have been diagnosed with a form of arthritis. In all, 80% of the impacted patients report having at least some confidence that they can manage their pain without any kind of physician assistance.
Meanwhile, 66% of patients reported managing their joint pain with OTC pain medications such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen, according to the poll. Additionally, 26% report taking supplements for pain, 11% report using cannabidiol and 9% report using cannabis.
“There are sizable risks associated with many of these treatment options, especially when taken long-term or in combination with other drugs,” Beth Wallace, MD, MS, a rheumatologist at the VA Ann Arbor Health Care system, said in a University of Michigan press release announcing the poll’s results. “Yet 60% of those taking two or more substances for their joint pain said their health care provider hadn’t talked with them about risks, or they couldn’t recall if they had.”
“And 26% of those taking oral steroids hadn’t talked with a provider about the special risks these drugs bring,” she added.
Wallace also noted that the American College of Rheumatology highlights an evidence-based approach to pain management in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis guidelines.
“The guidelines seek to reduce the risk that medications will affect patients’ stomach, liver,
blood pressure, blood sugar, mood or sleep,” the release said. “These risks rise with long-term use and in people who take multiple medications or certain supplements, as well as those who drink alcohol regularly.”
In cases of OA, guidelines highlight weight loss and exercise management. In patients with joint pain, 64% report using exercise and 24% report having attended physical therapy at some point, the release said.
“Older adults with fair or poor physical or mental health were much more likely to agree with the statement that there’s nothing that someone with joint pain can do to ease their symptoms, which we now know to be untrue,” Preeti Malani, MD, an infectious disease and geriatrics expert from Michigan Medicine, said in the release. “Health providers need to raise the topic of joint pain with their older patients and help them make a plan for care that might work for them.”
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