Cecily O'Connor
RedwoodAge.com

Whether it's arthritis or an old football injury, many boomers are living with pain.

Yet they are often wary about seeking treatment - uncertain about how to describe the twinges or throbbing, and also concerned the doctor won't believe them or be able to help. Since pain can be hard to prove and measure, some patients simply choose to disregard it, even though that could have significant emotional repercussions down the road.

Part of the problem is that some doctors aren't equipped to assess pain and determine an appropriate course of action, said Dr. Scott Fishman, chief of the division of pain medicine and professor of anesthesiology at the University of California at Davis.

"Even though pain is the most common reason to go to doctors, we don't train doctors to diagnose chronic pain or treat it," said Dr. Fishman, who's also the president of the American Pain Foundation.

To bridge these communication gaps, four organizations have formed the Let's Talk Pain Coalition.  The group wants to help patients, caregivers and physicians discuss pain. The group, which recently conducted an online survey of pain patients and physicians, is hoping to break down communication barriers such as lack of trust and insufficient time for office visits.

Chronic pain can include everything from disorders such as arthritis or diabetes to "anything that injures the nervous system (that) serves as the alarm of pain," Fishman said.

Other conditions that can sound the alarm include: back, neck and jaw pain; fibromyalgia, a disorder that causes pain in joints and muscles; and central pain syndrome, a neurological condition caused by damage or dysfunction to the central nervous system.

No matter the condition, pain can have a significant impact on the lives of patients, especially as they age. For example, pain can interfere with the ability to exercise and work outside the home.

Starting the Conversation
The coalition is kick-started communication efforts at the American Academy of Pain Management annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn. The Academy, along with the American Society for Pain Management Nursing and the American Pain Foundation, are founding coalition members. PriCara, a division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, sponsors the coalition.

One of the biggest challenges the coalition hopes to address is encouraging patients to talk about what's ailing them, Dr. Fishman said. Sixty percent of patients "strongly agreed" that they can be open and honest about their pain with their physician. Yet, less than 10 percent of physicians strongly agreed that their patients tell them the truth about their pain.

"Many patients don't (discuss their pain) because they feel their doctor doesn't want to hear about it," Dr. Fishman said. Some adults worry they'll be perceived as "whiners," and in extreme cases, drug seekers or addicts, he added. But muddling through with the pain can result in depression and other emotional disorders when people can't live the way they want.

Patients also feel discouraged about the amount of time they have to talk with their physician. Less than half said they feel there is enough time to discuss pain, while the majority of physicians didn't see time as an issue.

The coalition has several resources on its website to start working around these issues. For example, there's a section on strategies for opening communication lines, including an interactive Q&A with pain experts.

Patients and healthcare professionals can also use the website to become familiar with pain terms and conditions, as well as learn more about how pain is assessed so that it is easier to start the dialogue.