The Chronic Low Back Pain Epidemic in Older Adults in America

Chronic low back pain is a debilitating condition affecting millions of Americans annually. Older-adult populations suffer a high prevalence of this continually painful state, and further face a unique set of challenges to manage short- and long-term biopsychosocial functioning. As the population ages, and the proportion of older adults grow, it is essential to explore and develop the most effective interdisciplinary strategies to care for older adults who are chronic pain sufferers. In this Commentary, we highlight some of the special challenges that the older-adult population encounters, and their influence on pain management strategies.