Subscribe Latest Edition
News / Profession

The Dangers of Drugging the Elderly

Editorial Staff

According to a survey conducted for the National Council on Aging, 18% of Americans over age 60 (7.5 million people) take medication for chronic pain. Of those 7.5 million seniors, 26% (1.95 million) experience side effects, half of which are severe:

Side Effects Percent of Seniors Affected
Drowsiness 20%
Dizziness 18%
Gastrointestinal Disorders 17%
Nausea/Vomiting/Diarrhea 13%
Constipation 12%
Hospitalization 10%

Forty-one percent of the seniors who suffer from these side effects (800,000) take another drug to "manage" the side effects. Of greater concern is that 58% of the seniors who take pain medication also take other drugs for other ailments. And yet 48% of the seniors say that their doctors don't tell them about the possible harmful interaction between pain drugs and other medications they take.

----------------- SOURCE: The Study of Pain and Older Americans. Louis Harris and Associates survey, 1997.

December 1997
print pdf
Trending
Chiropractic
Would You Rather Be a Chiropractic Therapist?
Would You Rather Be a Chiropractic Therapist?

Because they have yet to pass national legislation protecting the chiropractic profession, Japanese DCs are in a similar situation that U.S. DCs faced. We were fortunate enough to be able to pass chiropractic licensure state by state. The DCs in Japan must accomplish this nationally, which has proved to be an extremely difficult task. And in spite of their efforts, Japanese DCs are currently faced with two chiropractic professions.

Donald M. Petersen Jr., BS, HCD(hc), FICC(h)
Personal Injury
9 Delayed-Onset MVA Injuries (Pt. 1)
9 Delayed-Onset MVA Injuries

This article focuses on nine severe injuries that are generally not diagnosable until the third to fourth week following the date of injury, including how to diagnose these severe injuries. The discovery of any of these injuries early can make a significant difference in the case outcome.

 |  Digital Exclusive
Troy Freiheit, DC
Whiplash / Neck Pain
Whiplash-Associated Disorder: Use of O’Donoghue’s Maneuver
Whiplash-Associated Disorder: Use of O’Donoghue’s Maneuver

Recently, I taught a 12-hour whiplash class to a group of chiropractors for continuing education. I taught that performing O’Donoghue’s maneuver enabled the providers to differentiate cervical strain from sprain. To my surprise, one of the attendees stated that it is not possible to diagnose a cervical strain and sprain with a whiplashed patient using O’Donoghue’s maneuver.

James Lehman, DC, MBA, DIANM