Most people look forward to the golden years, but after age 75 many medical issues arise that can compromise quality of life. Philip E. Kolski, LCSW, program manager of Outpatient Services at Mills-Peninsula’s Behavioral Health Services Center Opens new window sees many seniors struggling to manage chronic pain that keeps them from living the life they want. “Joint and back pain is especially prevalent among seniors,” he says. According to the National Institutes of Health, about half of older Americans living on their own have chronic pain. Typically, to manage this pain, doctors prescribe opioid pain medications. “When these medications are taken over time, people can develop a tolerance for the medication,” Kolski says. “When that happens, either their dosage has to increase, they have to find an alternate way of coping with the pain such as acupuncture, or they have to stop taking the medication, go through withdrawal and start a new opiate.” While de...
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