Treatment of pain in people with dementia

The causes of pain must always be clarified, as long as it can be justified. In dementia the placebo effect can be lacking. A treatment on demand is difficult to implement. Correctly applied nonmedicinal treatment has few unwanted effects but mostly needs constant support by personnel. Medications with anticholinergic effects should be used with caution due to the high risk of delirium and falling. With analgesics and coanalgesics the principles of geriatric treatment must also be adhered to: start low, go slow. Complaints that can be triggered by analgesics or coanalgesics should be recorded before starting treatment. Education and clarification by therapists are given priority. Multimorbidity and polypharmacy restrict the analgesic treatment. Strategies of self-efficacy and other psychological procedures have limited implementation. The course of treatment is difficult to monitor.