Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, Robert and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA.
Department of Nursing, Robert and Donna Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA.
Aging Clin Exp Res. 2023 Jul;35(7):1443-1448. doi: 10.1007/s40520-023-02439-2. Epub 2023 May 31.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain is prevalent and undertreated in older adults. In particular, multisite pain is associated with serious functional consequences and falls and appears to be a novel geriatric syndrome. The causes of multisite pain are often multifactorial, and emerging evidence supports a complex pathway whereby multisite pain leads to cognitive problems, mobility decline, fear of falling, falls, and reduced participation in life roles. A few pharmacologic approaches are safe and effective for older adults with chronic multisite pain and evidence for effectiveness of non-pharmacologic treatments for this common condition is very limited. Compared to light physical exercise, mind-body exercise may prove to be more beneficial for older adults living with chronic pain. Tai Chi, as a movement-based mind-body exercise, can relieve pain symptoms, improve cognition and physical function, and lower risk for falls in older adults. However, little is known about the potential benefits of Tai Chi for older adults with multisite pain syndrome. Future large-scale randomized-controlled trials are needed to investigate the effectiveness of Tai Chi in alleviating pain and lowering fall risk in older adults with multisite pain, and the biological mechanisms that underlie its potential benefits to chronic pain, physical and cognitive functions, and falls in this at-risk population.
慢性肌肉骨骼疼痛在老年人中普遍存在且治疗不足。特别是多部位疼痛与严重的功能后果和跌倒有关，似乎是一种新的老年综合征。多部位疼痛的原因通常是多因素的，新出现的证据支持一种复杂的途径，即多部位疼痛导致认知问题、活动能力下降、跌倒恐惧、跌倒和减少参与生活角色。一些药物治疗方法对患有慢性多部位疼痛的老年人是安全有效的，而针对这种常见疾病的非药物治疗方法的证据非常有限。与轻度体育锻炼相比，身心锻炼可能对患有慢性疼痛的老年人更有益。太极拳作为一种基于运动的身心锻炼，可以缓解疼痛症状，改善认知和身体功能，降低老年人跌倒的风险。然而，对于多部位疼痛综合征的老年人来说，太极拳可能带来的潜在益处知之甚少。未来需要进行大规模的随机对照试验，以研究太极拳在缓解疼痛和降低多部位疼痛老年人跌倒风险方面的有效性，以及其对慢性疼痛、身体和认知功能以及该高危人群跌倒的潜在益处的生物学机制。
