“You get tired of saying, this doesn’t work”: A qualitative study of chronic pain treatments among older Latino adults

Latino and Spanish-speaking older adults experience poorer pain outcomes and have limited access to chronic pain treatments compared to their non-Latino English-speaking counterparts. To help inform interventions for this population, we examined the chronic pain treatment experiences and preferences of Spanish-speaking Latino older adults. Focus groups and individual qualitative interviews were carried out in Spanish with older Latino patients who self-reported chronic musculoskeletal pain at a community health clinic. Data was analyzed utilizing a hybrid deductive-inductive thematic approach. Participants reported mixed experiences with biomedical treatments (e.g., perceived ineffectiveness, harmful side effects, skepticism toward polypharmacy and surgery). Others pursued herbal and alternative remedies to manage their pain with limited results. Participants identified multiple barriers to accessing and adhering to non-pharmacological chronic pain treatments, including psychosocial factors (e.g., perceived laziness and forgetfulness), limited insurance coverage, and a lack of services offered in Spanish at their community health clinic. Participants preferred noninvasive, behavioral, and activity-based solutions over biomedical treatments. Findings emphasize the current gaps in care for Latino older adults living with chronic pain and the need for noninvasive, accessible chronic pain behavioral treatments for the rapidly growing older Spanish-speaking adult population.