%0 Journal Article
%T Diagnostic challenges in the older patient
%A Lisa Killinger
%J Chiropractic & Manual Therapies
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2045-709x-20-28
%X One of the greatest challenges in caring for older adult patients is formulating an accurate and appropriate diagnosis [1,2]. Older adult patients bring complex health histories and clinical scenarios into our practices, and it takes a skilled practitioner to overcome the related diagnostic challenges. These challenges have been discussed in the chiropractic and other health literature, often with an emphasis on improving patient care outcomes [2-5].The fastest growing subset of the US population is the 75+ age category [6] and currently, about 15% of chiropractic patients are over 65. Most industrialized nations are seeing similar trends of rapid growth in the aging population. Many patients [in the US] seek chiropractic care for a chief complaint of musculoskeletal pain [7]. This is not surprising, considering that recent research shows that nearly one quarter of patients over the age of 75 experience non-disabling back pain, and another 6% report disabling back pain [8-11]. Chiropractors are well-suited to manage many patients with spinal complaints since chiropractic or spinal manipulative therapy is one of several efficacious evidence-based interventions for patients with back pain [12-19]. However, further research needs to be done to assess the efficacy and safety of chiropractic in the management of older back pain patients.Due to this confluence of an aging world and the complex nature of geriatric health, it is essential that chiropractors thoroughly assess their older patients for concomitant health issues that may impact clinical decision making and patient prognosis. In this article a case-based approach will be taken to explore several important clinical problem solving examples. These cases are fictitious, based on an amalgam of previous clinical experiences, therefore no IRB or ethics approvals were required. The focus will be on three major confounding areas that create diagnostic challenges in managing older adult patients: Polypharmacy, cognitive
%K Diagnosis
%K Geriatrics
%K Polypharmacy
%K Cognitive health
%K Delirium
%K Dementia
%K Depression
%K Pathologies
%K Chiropractic
%U http://www.chiromt.com/content/20/1/28