Management of Pain in Older Adults in the Opioid and Cannabis Era
Management of Pain in Older Adults in the Opioid and Cannabis Era
This course includes
Overview
This course explores practical and evidence‑informed approaches to assessing and managing pain in older adults, with a particular focus on the implications of opioid and cannabis use. Pain in older adults is frequently overlooked or under‑treated, and opioids remain a common treatment, especially in long‑term care settings. Concurrently, cannabis use for pain management is rapidly increasing among adults over age 65. Physiotherapists must understand the risks and benefits of these medications, how they influence rehabilitation, and their impact on care planning.
The course covers broad pain assessment principles for older adults, unique clinical considerations such as communication challenges, falls risk, frailty, comorbidities, and polypharmacy, as well as specific information about opioid and cannabis use, and the physiotherapist’s role in supporting older adults living with pain.
Why This Course Matters
Pain is common but often under‑recognized and poorly managed in older adults, and ageing is associated with complex clinical presentations that can obscure pain assessment. Older adults are also more likely to be prescribed opioids and are increasingly using cannabis for pain relief. Understanding risks such as increased fall risk, cognitive changes, and balance issues — as well as the limited evidence regarding cannabis safety and effectiveness — is critical for clinicians who support older adults’ function and quality of life.
Physiotherapists play a key role in providing non‑pharmacologic pain management, guiding safe activity, and integrating evidence‑based clinical reasoning into comprehensive care that takes medications into account. Awareness of opioid and cannabis effects helps clinicians tailor interventions and participate knowledgeably in interdisciplinary care.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
-
Explain broad principles of pain assessment and management for older adults
-
Describe unique clinical considerations for pain in older adults, including frailty, communication barriers, falls risk, and polypharmacy
-
Detail specific risks and benefits associated with opioid use in older adults
-
Identify considerations and evidence limitations related to cannabis use for pain management in older adults
-
Define the role of physiotherapists in managing pain when opioids or cannabis are part of the treatment picture
Audience
This course is intended for:
-
Physiotherapists and rehabilitation clinicians working with older adults
-
Healthcare professionals interested in evidence‑informed pain management
-
Clinicians supporting clients with chronic or complex pain conditions
-
Practitioners working in long‑term care, community, outpatient, or geriatric settings
The instructors
PT, PhD
Geoff obtained his BScPT from the University of Saskatchewan in 2001. He then worked in private practice in Saskatoon, Edmonton and Victoria. In 2005, he completed the Diploma of Advanced Manual and Manipulative Physiotherapy. By 2006, Geoff had developed a fervent interest for pain sciences; particularly the cognitive and social aspects of pain. He then began his PhD in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Alberta, completing the program in 2011. Currently, Geoff works as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta (U of A) in the Department of Physical Therapy (PT). He teaches primarily in the orthopaedic portion of the program, but incorporates as much pain education as possible into other courses in the MScPT program. His research interests include neuropathic pain in OA, cognitive factors in chronic pain and various teaching-related initiatives. He also runs a student-led physiotherapy clinic within the Department of Physiotherapy at the U of A, and a modest not-for-profit PT pain program in conjunction with the U of A Multidisciplinary Pain Centre.
Geoff’s current role with the Pain Science Division is the Division Research Representative Committee (DRRC) representative, promoting pain-related research to its members. He is also co-chair of DRRC. The DRRC rep is broadly charged with promoting pain-related research to its members. Geoff is particularly excited about a new initiative called Paincasts – short podcasts discussing pain with some bright people.
Material included in this course
-
Lessons
-
Welcome and Slides
-
Introduction
-
Opioid Crisis
-
Bio-Psycho-Social Approach
-
Lack of Medical Knowledge in Patients
-
Risks and Benefits in Opioids
-
Summary
-
Questions
-
Quiz
-
Feedback