In focus group interviews, pet owners over age 70 with chronic pain
said their pets brought them joy and laughter, helped them relax,
kept them active, and promoted other good habits that can also be
marshaled to manage pain, the study team writes in the Journal of
Applied Gerontology.
"In part because of the opioid crisis, there is more interest than
ever in how people can use cognitive and behavioral strategies to
manage common chronic pain conditions with less reliance on
medication," said study leader Mary Janevic, an associate research
scientist at the School of Public Health of the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor.
This self-management "toolbox" includes relaxation techniques,
physical activity, interaction with pets, and a problem-solving
approach to minimize pain's interference with life, she said.
"This is especially important in older adults, who often experience
more harmful side-effects from medication than younger people do,"
Janevic told Reuters Health by email.
The study team conducted focus groups with 25 dog and cat owners who
had experienced persistent pain at least half of their days during
the prior six months. The owners lived full-time with their pet and
interacted four or more times per day through petting, talking to,
playing with, walking with, sitting with, feeding or grooming their
pet.
The owners described how their pets affect their daily routines and
health, including pain, fatigue and barriers to pet care. The
research team analyzed the transcripts for themes and categories
matching the types of techniques used in pain management: mood
management, relaxation, distraction, physical activity, behavioral
changes, social interaction and sleep.
Overall, pet owners reported that their animals increased positive
feelings, had a soothing presence, encouraged activity through
walking, motivated activity even when they were in pain, facilitated
socializing, and encouraged a regular daily routine and sleep
routine. They described their pets as sources of comfort, patience,
support and protection. Importantly, pets "kept them going" and
helped them to avoid a downward spiral of inactivity, which can lead
to mood problems and more pain.
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"My partner died two years ago, and then his children sued me, so it
was really a terrible, terrible time," one participant said. "I
don't think I would have gotten out of bed if it wasn't for the dog.
I would have just laid there and not moved because it was so
horrible."
Pets also provided love, companionship and emotional connection, as
well as a sense of responsibility, purpose and being needed by
another living creature.
"Positive emotions are natural pain-killers, and they affect our
brain chemistry just like medications do," Janevic said.
At the same time, some owners mentioned challenges of pet ownership,
such as worrying about finding care for their pet when they're
unable, monitoring their pet's health, having enough money for pet
care, and anticipating grief over losing a pet. A few owners
mentioned occasional sleep interruptions due to their pets.
Older adults shouldn't buy a new pet to solve their chronic pain
problems if they don't already have one, Janevic said, cautioning
that pets aren't for everyone.
"Pets have very different temperaments and behaviors (unlike therapy
animals) and therefore a given pet may or may not be helpful for a
particular health issue, including chronic pain," she said.
The researchers are also investigating other ways that owning or
having regular contact with a pet in a community setting may benefit
cognitive function such as memory, motor speed and loneliness.
"Rates of pet ownership decline with advancing age, highlighting the
importance of supporting older adults to retain their pets so they
may continue to experience the many health and wellbeing benefits
pets offer," said Nancy Gee, a Fredonia, New York-based research
manager for Human-Animal Interaction for Mars Petcare's Waltham
center in Leicester, UK.
"Make the most of the power of pets," Gee, who wasn't involved in
the study, told Reuters Health by email. "Pets have been shown to
benefit people from childhood well into old age and in many
different contexts."
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2Lw2y9k Journal of Applied Gerontology,
online June 19, 2019.
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