The daughter of an older patient is concerned because the patient continues to experience lower back pain even though all exams, labs, and radiology studies have been negative. What should the nurse discuss with the patient's daughter?
A) Pain is a normal part of being old.
B) The pain is phantom pain, and nothing else can be done.
C) The patient's complaint does not fall into the true definition of pain.
D) The patient's team needs to explore all possible valid reasons for her mother's pain, including physical causes.
D
Feedback:
It is difficult to determine the accuracy of pain in the elderly because some overreport as a means of getting attention; others underreport pain. It is important to explore every possible cause for pain, including physical, emotional, socioeconomic, and spiritual factors. It would be inappropriate to discount the patient's pain or to characterize it as phantom pain of a normal part of aging.
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