RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PAIN AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE
ELDERLY LIVING IN LONG TERM CARE CENTERS
pain; functional performance; aging.
INTRODUCTION: Pain has significant functional, cognitive, emotional and
social consequences in an individual’s life. The resulting incapacity
of pain is multidetermined, and it is still a challenge to determine
which the mechanisms are involved in such a repercussion in the
elderly’s life. Maintenance of functional capacity is an important
factor for the elderly’s life independence and quality of living,
particularly when one takes into account those who live in long term
care centers (ILPI). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relation between the
kind of pain and the physical performance of the elderly living in long
term centers (ILPI). METHODOLOGY: A transversal study has been made with
113 elderly living in long term care certers in Paraiba State. Among the
instruments used the Geriatric Pain Measure (GPM) for pain evaluation
stands out, and the Short Physical Performance Balance (SPPB) for
evaluation of physical performance. Statistical analysis with SPSS 20.0,
distribution measurements were used. The t-test , ANOVA and Pearson
correlation test were used in the bivariate analysis. Finally, in the
multivariate analysis was applied multiple linear regression
analysis.Throughout the statistics analysis a confidence interval (CI)
of 95% and a p < 0,05 was considered. RESULTS: The sample features the
feminine sex predominance (65,4%), single (43,2%), and low educational
level (59,2%). The age average was 78,8 (±7,62) years and 3,80 (±3,49)
years living in the care center. Pain was referred to by 57,5% of the
elderly, where 48% admitted having chronic pain and 13,4% acute
pain. In the set Pain Geriatric Measure (GPM) evaluation, the average
punctuation was of 29,44 (±28,62) points. The pain intensity in most of
the elderly in pain in general and chronic pain was moderated (60,6% and
69,5% ), and among the elderly in acute pain it was lightweight
(52,9%). Physical performance was significantly shorter in the elderly
over 80 and the women; since the elderly who had a positive
self-perception of health achieved better results at this phase of
evaluation. As we correlated the results from Pain Geriatric Measure
with the functional evaluation we found that only the balance score did
not correlate to the pain evaluation by GPM (r=-0,110; p=0,22). In the
multivariate analysis, we found that pain affected negatively the
performance results in gait speed tests (ß=-0,23; p=0,03) and lifting a
chair (ß=3,7; p=0,04) and at the SPPB total score (ß=-1,9; p=0,01),
not relating significantly to the elderly’s balance performance
(ß=-0,23; p=0,53). Chronic pain did not appear as a limiting factor on
the elderly’s performance in this analysis. CONCLUSION: Acute pain had
an impact in an independent way on the elderly’s functional
performance, mostly at dynamic activities (gait, sitting and standing).