Pain Neuroscience Education for Older Adults

Aims: To assess if Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) delivered to older adults can positively influence pain knowledge and pain beliefs. Methods: A total of 55 older adults attended a 30-minute PNE lecture. The primary outcome measures of pain knowledge, fear avoidance, beliefs regarding pain and aging as well as self-reported pain were obtained both pre- and post-lecture. Results: Significant improvement in knowledge was found with a mean score on the neurophysiology of pain questionnaire test improving by 11.07% from pre to post-test (p = 0.002). A greater shift in knowledge was observed in the older adult group (70 and above) compared to the younger group (50-69). Conclusions: A brief PNE lecture to older adults positively influences pain knowledge, and beliefs regarding pain and aging. This study indicates that PNE can be understood by older adults and may be a viable non-pharmacological treatment for older adults experiencing pain.